
About
What is Population Health?
Population health is a scientific discipline that shifts the focus from treating illness in individuals to proactively improving health outcomes across entire communities. A population health approach can transform how we think about health in several ways:
Data-Driven & Predictive
Population health uses data analytics to identify high-risk individuals to intervene early – sometimes even before they show symptoms – to forecast disease outbreaks, and tailor interventions to specific communities.
Addresses Root Causes
Population health digs deep to target key determinants of health such as transportation, housing, education, income, and access to nutritious food—factors that profoundly shape health outcomes.
Collaborative Across Sectors
Population health brings together public health agencies, private companies, schools, housing authorities, and more to create healthier environments.
Redefines Success
Population health seeks to impact metrics like Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), Healthy Life Expectancy (HALE).
In short, population health is novel because it's not just about treating illness—it's about building systems that keep people well.