Ladies and gentlemen, the Healthy People 2020 program can inform every aspect of a comprehensive health assessment (CHA). A CHA is an examination of the behavioral, social, and economic aspects dictating the lifestyles of family members, caregivers, and patients (Aschengrau & Seage, 2013). The CHA evaluates the cultural needs, strengths, limitations, and preferences in a given family, population, or community. A proper understanding of the unique attributes of the Healthy People 2020 can ensure every CHA proposes new evidence-based initiatives to support populations’ welfare.
The major determinants of human health outlined by the Healthy People 2020 program include social attributes, health policies, medical services, personal behaviors, and genetic factors (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). A CHA will focus on these attributes in order to understand the unique needs of the targeted populations. The “cultural and social practices of individuals will dictate their eating habits and engagement in health promotion practices” (Prybil, 2016, p. 301). Policies focusing on the issue of health can result in better lifestyles. The availability of medical services can support the information collected using the CHA process. People’s behaviors, workplace conditions, and genetic compositions are useful attributes that can ensure the unique health needs of specific communities are clearly understood (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2013).
Professionals conducting the health assessment should consider these determinants to understand the unique risks, opportunities, gaps, and resources that can be tapped to implement sustainable care delivery models. The information is also appropriate for health assessors who want to undertake comprehensive studies (“Determinants of health,” 2017). Such assessments will present useful and evidence-based information that can be used to gauge the health status of a given population.
When the status of the targeted population is understood, healthcare and human services professionals will be able to implement sustainable and ethical programs to meet its needs (Shahriari, Mohammadi, Abbaszadeh, & Bahrami, 2013). The determinants of health outlined on the Healthy People 2020 website can therefore be used to collect meaningful information. To conclude, human services providers should use the information to design health campaigns that can promote healthy behaviors across all development stages.
References
Aschengrau, A., & Seage, G. (2013). Essentials of epidemiology in public health. New York, NY: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Healthy People 2020. Web.
Determinants of health. (2017). Web.
Prybil, L. (2016). Nursing engagement in governing health care organizations: Past, present, and future. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 31(4), 299-303.
Shahriari, M., Mohammadi, E., Abbaszadeh, A., & Bahrami, M. (2013). Nursing ethical values and definitions: A literature review. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 18(1), 1-8.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2013). Public health nursing: Population-centered Health care in the community. Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby.