Putting the public back into public health. Part I. A re-definition of public health.
The practice of public health has been criticized as being too involved with a narrow, managerial agenda focused on health care rather than the wider horizons of public good. Public accountability is central to the practice of public health, but is not mentioned in current definitions. We offer a new definition that recognizes the centrality of the public, and which should help public health professionals interpret their own role: 'Use of theory, experience and evidence derived through the population sciences to improve the health of the population, in a way that best meets the implicit and explicit needs of the community (the public)'.
Heller
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Evidence for Population Health Unit, School of Epidemiology and Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK. dick.heller@man.ac.uk
Heller
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Pattison
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D006285:Health Planning; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011634:Public Health / Q000145:classification*