URL 1: https://pace.tulane.edu/lsbes/content/historical-overview-public-health
Date Developed: 10/20/2021. Source: Tulane PACE (Learning Management System). Presenter(s): Michael Fleenor, MD, MPH. Type: Online Course. Level: Introductory. Length: Self-paced.
Public health was not a profession until the early 20th century following the movement to institutionalize and link health education to medical training. Historically, the concepts of health are rooted in the cultural perceptions surrounding health predominant for the period. Archeological evidence gives us an indication of how these concepts of health evolved over time and impacted the practice of maintaining the health of the population, even affecting how we think of health in the current age. This course will give an overview of the historical record of cultures and how they affected health practices and how these cultural beliefs impacted current public health practices. Additionally, the course will examine the institutionalization of public health in the United States.
This course will consist of two modules. Module one will examine the historical foundation of health beliefs and perceptions up to the 18th century and the emergence of modern thought. Module two will examine how social reform influenced the practice of public health in England and how these beliefs were then transformed into modern public health practice. Finally, module two will describe the institutionalization of public health in the United States.
Module 1. Historical Foundations of Health Beliefs Up to the 18th Century
• To examine the cultural and religious origins of public health beliefs and behaviors
• To provide selected archeological evidence to verify how public health concepts evolved and impacted the maintenance of health within populations
• To demonstrate the health impact of the crusades and pilgrimages to the Holy Land through a discussion of epidemics of leprosy and syphilis
• To illustrate the basis for medical practices in antiquity that by today’s standards seem bizarre
• To provide specific illustrations (e.g. days of quarantine) of how religious beliefs influence health codes and behaviors
Module 2. Foundations of Public Health in the Modern Era
• To illustrate the emergence of public health as a profession through the linkage of health education and medical training
• To discuss influential legislation such as the Hill-Burton Act and their affect on modern medical practice
• To demonstrate the relationship between state and local health agencies and the important roles played by each
• To illustrate the positive influence of public health practice on morbidity and mortality as regards the nation’s health
• To outline and discuss the three critical functions of public health as proposed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM)