Abstract

BERGONZOLI, Gustavo. The epidemiology and the local planning: Measures for the evaluation of potential impact. Colomb Med [online]. 2005, vol.36, n.1, pp.44-49. ISSN 1657-9534.

The implementation of the health risk assessment (HRA) as a methodology for designing, conducting, monitoring, and evaluating the public health services has been strongly proposed during the last two decades. However, its use as a tool for planning public health services is very poor despite the great efforts done by health authorities. This situation has become a challenge for International Health Agencies and Ministries of Public Health. One explanation for this lack of success is based on the nature itself of the HRA theory. This concept is an important one in the field of “scientific knowledge”, this is, on research field but it is not appropriate as a tool for health resources programming. Therefore, other methodology is being proposed here, named the etiologic (or preventive) fraction, in order to replace the former, due to this methodology has a real “public health significance”. Some examples are provided in order to understand how to compute, interpret, and use, the fraction, both the etiologic and preventive, on public health planning. By using the etiologic (or preventive) fraction, the Public Health Services will be allowed to planning, designing, monitoring, and evaluating its performance in a proper way, and also to focus on those factors (component causes) which are really modifiable with the available technology. Albeit there is no doubt about the usefulness of these measurements of potential impact, due to their simple estimation and interpretation, as usual the implementation of new applications for ancient methods will take some time.

Keywords : Epidemiology; Health risk assessment; Potential impact measures; Local health planning.

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