title: Both clinical epidemiology and population health perspectives can define the role of health care in reducing health disparities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare and contrast clinical epidemiology and population health perspectives on the role of health care in reducing socioeconomic disparities in health.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of concepts outlined in selected articles on population health and clinical epidemiology and a systematic literature search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of therapeutic interventions for cardiovascular disease that contained analysis of outcomes by socioeconomic status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Population health has a focus on health disparities, particularly disparities related to socioeconomic status, and many of its proponents have a pessimistic view of the degree to which health care can reduce these disparities. Clinical epidemiology has a focus on the production of valid evidence on the impact of health care interventions; however, RCTs rarely report the impact of interventions across socioeconomic strata. Both population health and clinical epidemiology share the view that efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness are all important in defining the impact of health care on health disparities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Principles drawn from both population health and clinical epidemiology could be used to provide a clearer picture of the role that health care interventions can have on socioeconomic disparities in health and to identify implications for policy, research, and clinical practice.
authors: Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, McMurrich Building, 2nd floor, 12 Queen's Park Crescent West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada. geoff.Anderson@uToronto.ca
authors: Geoffrey M
authors: GM
authors: Anderson
authors: Susan E
authors: SE
authors: Bronskill
authors: Cameron A
authors: CA
authors: Mustard
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Culyer
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Alter
authors: Douglas G
authors: DG
authors: Manuel
mesh_terms: D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006291:Health Policy; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012935:Social Justice; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors