Different measures of disease are useful to evaluate and assess public health programs and needs in different situations. For each of the following situations indicate (1) which measure (from the list below) would best be used, and (2) explain why you chose that measure.
Situations
A. To demonstrate that railroad crossings need to be safer to prevent car-train crashes
B. To demonstrate that a primary prevention program is successful
C. To demonstrate that a new leukemia treatment is successful
D. To estimate the healthcare facilities needed to support Alzheimer's patients
E. To argue that AIDS is a public health problem
F. The argue that heart disease should get more funding than AIDS
G. To demonstrate that a new screening program for breast cancer is effective
Measures of Disease
I=incidence rate
P=prevalence rate
C=case fatality rate
M=mortality rate (crude death rate)
A=absolute number of cases (counts)
IP L M R
A. To demonstrate that railroad crossings need to be safer to prevent car-train crashes:
- Measure: Incidence rate (I)
- Explanation: The incidence rate is the appropriate measure to use in this situation because it focuses on the occurrence of new cases of car-train crashes. By calculating the number of new car-train crashes at railroad crossings over a specified period of time, it can be determined whether the rate is increasing or not. This information helps to demonstrate the need for improved safety measures at the crossings.
B. To demonstrate that a primary prevention program is successful:
- Measure: Incidence rate (I)
- Explanation: The incidence rate is the most applicable measure here as well. By tracking and comparing the incidence of the specific condition or disease that the primary prevention program aims to prevent (such as the incidence of a particular infection or chronic disease), it is possible to assess the success of the program in reducing the occurrence of new cases among the population.
C. To demonstrate that a new leukemia treatment is successful:
- Measure: Case fatality rate (C)
- Explanation: The case fatality rate is the preferred measure in this situation because it quantifies the proportion of people diagnosed with leukemia who die from the disease. By comparing the case fatality rate of patients receiving the new treatment to the rate of patients receiving standard treatment, it can be determined whether the new treatment is more successful in reducing deaths from leukemia.
D. To estimate the healthcare facilities needed to support Alzheimer's patients:
- Measure: Prevalence rate (P)
- Explanation: The prevalence rate is the most suitable measure here because it provides information about the total number of existing cases of Alzheimer's disease within a specific population or geographic area. By estimating the prevalence rate, healthcare planners and administrators can determine the number of healthcare facilities and resources required to support the current and future population of Alzheimer's patients.
E. To argue that AIDS is a public health problem:
- Measure: Absolute number of cases (A)
- Explanation: The absolute number of cases helps to argue that AIDS is a public health problem by focusing on the actual count of individuals affected by the disease. By highlighting the total number of AIDS cases within a specific population, it becomes evident that AIDS has substantial implications for public health, particularly due to its impact on individuals, families, and communities.
F. To argue that heart disease should get more funding than AIDS:
- Measure: Mortality rate (M)
- Explanation: The mortality rate is the most appropriate measure in this scenario. By comparing the crude death rates caused by heart disease and AIDS, it is possible to demonstrate the relative impact of these two conditions on the overall death rate in a population. If heart disease has a higher mortality rate than AIDS, it can be argued that funding allocation should consider the disease with the greater impact on public health.
G. To demonstrate that a new screening program for breast cancer is effective:
- Measure: Incidence rate (I)
- Explanation: Similar to the previous situations, the incidence rate should be used here. By comparing the incidence of breast cancer cases among those who have undergone the new screening program to the incidence among those who have not, the effectiveness of the program in detecting new cases of breast cancer can be evaluated. This information helps to demonstrate the overall success of the screening program.