Short Communication - (2021) Volume 11, Issue 12
Community health is a prominent topic of research in the medical and clinical sciences that focuses on the preservation, protection, and enhancement of demographic groups and communities' health. It is a discrete subject of study that may be taught in a separate public or environmental health school. They are especially crucial in rural areas with inadequate health resources, especially culturally competent and tailored care. CHWs frequently disclose personal information with the people they assist, such as race, socioeconomic position, language, and medical conditions. While CHWs have typically worked with racial and ethnic minorities, they have expanded their services to include rural, urban, and underserved communities in recent years. Policymakers and executives in the health-care industry are paying close attention to interventions that address socioeconomic determinants of health. Part of the attraction stems from the prospect of a profit. Many current returns on investment estimates are likely inflated since they are based on pre-post study designs that are prone to regression to the mean
Primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care are the three types of medical interventions that occur in communities. Each category focuses on a different level of the community or population group, as well as a different methodology. Community health in the United States is anchored in basic healthcare achievements. Primary healthcare programmes are designed to lower risk factors while also promoting and preventing health. Acute care is delivered in a hospital department setting; hence secondary healthcare is related to hospital care. Tertiary healthcare refers to highly specialised care that usually involves the management of a disease or handicap. The success of community health programmes is dependent on the one-to-one or one-to-mass conveyance of information from health experts to the general public [1]. The most recent trend is health marketing.
Geographic information systems and demographic data are commonly used to assess community health. When neighbourhood location data is insufficient, geographic information systems can be utilised to define subcommunities. Traditionally, community health was assessed by collecting data and comparing it to well-known data sets such as the National Health Interview Survey or the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In contrast to census data, which only generalises information about small populations based on the overall population, information systems could hold more data for small scale villages, cities, and towns as technology advances [2]. Even at the neighbourhood level, geographic information systems (GIS) can provide more specific information about community resources. Researchers can more easily get and generate data relevant to the built environment thanks to the ease of use of geographic information systems (GIS), developments in multilevel statistics, and spatial analysis approaches. In health information analytics, social media can also play a significant role. According to studies, social media has the ability to influence people to change their bad behaviour and urge healthrelated interventions. Researchers may be able to get a fuller picture of community norms for health and wellness by combining social media analytics with geographic information systems (GIS).
Primary prevention and a population-based approach are emphasised in community-based health promotion. The purpose of community health is to encourage people in a certain community to alter their lifestyles or seek medical help. Primary healthcare is provided by health professionals, particularly those who visit a patient first and may recommend them to secondary or tertiary treatment. Improvements in individual environments can also help to improve community health. The environmental qualities, behavioural characteristics, and social cohesion in a community's surroundings impact its health condition. Appropriate environmental changes can aid in the prevention of unhealthy habits and unfavourable health outcomes. Community health can only be affected in tertiary healthcare when professional medical care is provided to the entire population [3].
Patients must be referred to specialists and treated with advanced medical technology. There are more medical sub-specialties in certain countries than there are primary care specialists. Social advantage and social resources are directly related to health inequities. Researchers may find it challenging to assess and discover answers due to the complexity of community health and its different concerns. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a novel approach that blends community involvement, inquiry, and action. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) assists researchers in approaching community issues from a broader perspective and collaborates with community members to develop culturally sensitive, valid, and dependable methods and procedures. Other difficulties include medical care access and expense [4].
The vast majority of people on the planet lack appropriate health insurance. In low-income countries, the public or government pays for less than 40% of overall health costs. Because health sectors in poor nations are unable to connect national authorities with local governments and community activity, community health, especially population health, is discouraged [5]. Community development is widely utilised as a public health intervention to help communities gain self-sufficiency and control over the issues that influence their health. When scientists and policymakers are planning health treatments, community health workers can utilise their first-hand experience, or local knowledge, to supplement the information they have. Through lower malnutrition rates, improved maternal and child health, and AIDS prevention and treatment, interventions with community health workers have been shown to enhance access to primary healthcare and quality of care in developing nations. Community health workers have also been proven to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular illnesses, indicating that they can help with chronic disease management.
In community groups, health systems, and residences, interventions using CHWs are given in group or individual sessions, or in some combination of formats. CHWs can work independently or as part of a team of counsellors, clinicians, or other health care providers. Interventions involving CHWs for CVD prevention screen for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and behavioural risk factors for CVD, such as physical inactivity and smoking, and educate patients about them. Medication adherence and health behaviour modifications are supported. Education regarding T2DM prevention and lifestyle adjustment, as well as informal counselling and coaching, are examples of activities. Through education, coaching, or social support, interventions using CHWs for T2DM management attempt to enhance T2DM care and self-management behaviours among persons living with T2DM; programmes also aim to improve T2DM testing and monitoring.
Citation: Ortega, B. Cancer Informatics: Needs and Challenges in Cancer Research. Prim Health Care, 2021, 11(12), 419.
Received: 18-Nov-2021 Published: 18-Dec-2021
Copyright: © 2021 Ortega, B. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
