Discussion: Effective Screening Programs

McAllen is a large community along the southern border of Texas. It is a common location for senior citizens to spend the winter months. They are often called “snowbirds”—they migrate south to escape the freezing cold temperatures and the snow and ice. Every year, the health officials, in McAllen, see an increase in patients who are admitted to the hospital due to heart-related health issues and an increase in heart-related deaths. The McAllen health officials want to address these heart-related issues before a senior citizen is admitted to the hospital or worse. They are considering developing a screening program that would evaluate the senior citizens for heart-related health issues. What elements should the health officials consider including in their screening program?

Screening is the presumptive identification of unrecognized disease or defects by the application of tests, examinations, or other rapidly applied procedures (Friis & Sellers, 2014). Identifying the elements of effective screening programs would provide McAllen senior citizens with a proactive approach to identifying and treating their heart-related health issues.

In this Discussion, you will identify the elements of an effective screening program. You also will reflect on the content introduced throughout the course.

Reference

Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2014). Epidemiology for public health practice (5th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

To prepare:

Refer to the health issue you selected in Week 1.
Reflect on the content you have covered throughout the course.

By Day 4

Post  a response to the following:

Describe the components of an effective screening program for the health issue you selected.
Identify two topics from the course that are most interesting to you. What personal or professional experiences relate to the topics you identified?
As an epidemiologist, identify the populations, determinants of health, and health outcomes you would like to focus on? Explain why.

Use complete sentences in writing your Discussion post, cite your sources, and include references in APA format. Ensure that your in-text citations and reference list are in APA format.