Abstract The public health approach is to identify the health problem; work to develop interventions to control or prevent the problem; implement interventions with hopes of mitigating the problem; and then monitor and evaluate the results of the implementations (Schneider, 2013, p. 6). The hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been identified as a health problem. Using epidemiology and biomedical research HCV is being understood so an intervention and prevention can be developed. An implementation plan can be developed recognizing psychosocial factors and incorporating the health belief model and ecological model. This implementation would hopefully result in mitigating the problems with HCV infection. The field of HCV biostatistics could be and should be used to monitor the results of the interventions. This paper is an overview of HCV and the public health approach. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2008, p. 1), C virus (HCV) infection is the most common “Hepatitis chronic bloodborne infection in the United States; approximately 3.2 million persons are HCV is responsible for acute and chronic liver disease in people. chronically infected.” Keywords: hepatitis c, HCV, liver disease, hepatitis, and HCV epidemic
Abstract The public health approach is to identify the health problem; work to develop interventions to control or prevent the problem; implement interventions with hopes of mitigating the problem; and then monitor and evaluate the results of the implementations (Schneider, 2013, p. 6). The hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been identified as a health problem. Using epidemiology and biomedical research HCV is being understood so an intervention and prevention can be developed. An implementation plan can be developed recognizing psychosocial factors and incorporating the health belief model and ecological model. This implementation would hopefully result in mitigating the problems with HCV infection. The field of HCV biostatistics could be and should be used to monitor the results of the interventions. This paper is an overview of HCV and the public health approach. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2008, p. 1), “Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common chronic bloodborne infection in the United States; approximately 3.2 million persons are chronically infected.” HCV is responsible for acute and chronic liver disease in people. Keywords: hepatitis c, HCV, liver disease, hepatitis, and HCV epidemic
Week_7_Term_Paper_TLiichow.docx