In some capacity, we have all heard the phrase, “Prevention is better than cure.” The simplicity of this phrase sends a huge and underlying message that is compatible with any scenario because it emphasizes the importance of taking preventive measures before the problem gets worse.  

Think about it – whether it be your professional life or personal, you would want to take preventive measures before a crisis takes place. In healthcare, it is similarly important to identify ways to prevent and/or delay the onset of disease to reduce the need for medical treatment and minimize the risk of chronic illnesses.  

You may have heard the terms “public health” and “public health research” before.

The interchangeability of those words is confusing, and while the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 put public health in the spotlight like never before, only half of the people who responded to a survey led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said they understood the term public health somewhat well.”   

Now, more than ever it is important to understand the meaning and difference between public health and public health research. 

So, let’s get started. 

What is Public Health and Public Health Research?

Public health encompasses everything related to promotion of health and well-being of communities. It prioritizes disease prevention and involves a thorough analysis of the health status of the overall population, ultimately identifying and developing preventive measures for pressing health issues.

Public health research on the other hand, includes the data generation and scientific investigation of social factors that affect a certain population. 

For instance, public health officials are determined to come up with solutions to solve and prevent problems like maternal mortality, poor nutrition, vaccine hesitancy and more. But without the data and statistics gathered by public health researchers, they would not know where to start. 

Public health researchers look deeper into the causes of these issues, what perpetuates them, and what solutions or new interventions could help.  

Interdependence of Public Health and Public Health Research

Public health and public health research are closely related, enough to be interdependent on each other.  

How so? You may ask.  

● Public health researchers provide evidence-based data that leads to the development of effective public health policies, programs and interventions

● Public health officials identify new questions or research needs that public health researchers can further investigate to learn the underlying causes and identify solutions 

● These new findings can help public health officials work more effectively to solve problems in their communities

Who Benefits From Public Health Research? 

The importance and benefits of public health research is recognized by notable organizations such as the Center for Disease Control, the National Institute of Health and even policy makers.

Effective public health research presents supporting evidence and data that assists and informs different stakeholders about potential policies, healthcare interventions, programs or ideas that potentially help with addressing, pressing public health issues, especially in underserved communities.

This can include but is not limited to access, environmental justice or even program management. 

There is so much to explore at the intersection of public health and public health research, which is why we have developed this new series called Public Health Playbook: Tackling Today’s Health Challenges.

Stay tuned for future posts where we’ll talk to some of the leading public health researchers and experts from Massachusetts General Hospital.

About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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