Problem Definition Part 2

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From the course by Johns Hopkins University

Epidemiology in Public Health Practice

183 ratings

Johns Hopkins University

Epidemiology in Public Health Practice

183 ratings

Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science in public health. Epidemiology in public health practice uses study design and analyses to identify causes in an outbreak situation, guides interventions to improve population health, and evaluates programs and policies. In this course, we'll define the role of the professional epidemiologist as it relates to public health services, functions, and competencies. With that foundation in mind, we'll introduce you to the problem solving methodology and demonstrate how it can be used in a wide variety of settings to identify problems, propose solutions, and evaluate interventions. This methodology depends on the use of reliable data, so we'll take a deep dive into the routine and public health data systems that lie at the heart of epidemiology and then conclude with how you can use that data to calculate measures of disease burden in populations.

From the lesson

Methodology

In this module, we will introduce the problem solving methodology. This methodology is a powerful tool that can useful when identifying a public health problem, building the case that there truly is a problem, suggesting interventions, and suggestions ways to evaluate the interventions and disseminate the findings of the evaluation.

Welcome to Module 21:04

Introduction to Methodology4:41

Problem Definition Part 112:19

Problem Definition Part 24:18

Magnitude of the Problem3:48

Conceptual Framework10:02

Action Plan8:39

Actions and Evaluations6:15

Communication3:03

Meet the Instructors

Keri Althoff
Associate Professor
Epidemiology

Let's take a look at the problem definitions you have written for

this important first step in the problem solving methodology.

Remembering that John Dewey is behind us, supporting us.

Suggesting that a problem well stated is a problem half solved.

So what's our initial problem statement?

The problem statement I drafted is as follows you can see on the slide here.

The infant mortality rate among African-American infants was consistently

higher than among white infants in Baltimore City from 1997 to 2007.

In reviewing the infant mortality data that we have looked at,

I thought this figure best guided my writing of this problem definition.

So let's take a minute to dissect this statement according to the key aspects.

First, the problem is a public health problem because the infant mortality rate

is a key indicator of health in a population.

The problem is focused.

It's not a topic but rather, it's a specific problem.

Second, person, place, and

time have all been incorporated in this problem definition.

The comparison of African American to white infants allows us to be the most

specific we can in specifying the population most affected by this problem.

It also allows us to use the term higher.

We use a term like higher when we're implying a comparison group.

Higher than who?

Higher than what?

So we have supplied that comparison group in the problem definition

by stating the infant mortality rate among African American infants

was consistently higher than among White infants.

Baltimore City specified as the place.

We could have specified a specific neighborhood, but since the request was to

investigate and solve the problem about infant mortality In the entire

city asked by the mayor through the health commissioner to the chief epidemiologist.

So in order to best respond to that request,

we'll keep the problem statement focused at the level of the city.

We will use the neighborhood level data that we've looked at

to inform our interventions.

That's coming up.

Finally, time is incorporated in the framing by specifying the time period and

using the term consistently when describing that infant mortality rate

among African Americans compared to white infants during this specified time frame.

Next, specificity.

The problem definition is quite specific in terms of goals, the indicator of infant

mortality rate and the articulation of person, place and time.

Next, causal claims.

We do not make any causal claims or tempt to explain this problem, we simply state.

The definition of the problem.

And then, finally, language.

The problem definition is one complete sentence or statement,

that has appropriate grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.

So comparing our problem definition to our list of dos and don'ts.

We don't state the definition of a topic, the definition is focused.

We are clear in defining the sub population most affected by the problem

and we have incorporated place and time.

We don't mention key determinants of the problem or make causal claims and

we don't select a solution to the problem, so I think this problem definition

is appropriate given the request from the Major and

the existing data that we reviewed.

Please compare your drafted problem definition to this one to see where yours

differs and think about how it differs and why it differs.

Take another minute to stretch, take a breath, and

then complete a work it out exercise.

For this work it out exercise, please critically review your problem definition

for infant mortality in Baltimore City and revise it.

Because writing problem statements takes practice, practice and more practice.

Then, we'll move on to measurement of the magnitude of the problem in

the next video.

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