Profession public health policy officer

Public health policy officers develop and implement strategies for the improvement of a community's health care policy. They advise governments on policy changes and identify problems in current health care policies.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• Public health

  The principles of health and sickness affecting the population, including the means for health promotion and prevention and community and primary care.

• Health care legislation

  The patients` rights and responsibilities of health practitioners and the possible repercussions and prosecutions in relation to medical treatment negligence or malpractice.

• Health care system

  The structure and function of health care services.

• Government policy implementation

  The procedures related to the application of government policies at all levels of public administration.

Skills

• Assess health services within the community

  Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of health services for the community with a view to its improvement.

• Provide improvement strategies

  Identify root causes of problems and submit proposals for effective and long-term solutions.

• Work within communities

  Establish social projects aimed at community development and active citizen participation.

• Address public health issues

  Promote healthy practices and behaviours to ensure that populations stay healthy.

• Analyse health problems within a given community

  Effectively assess the healthcare needs and problems of a community.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Implement policy in healthcare practices

  Establish how policies should be interpreted and translated within the practice, implementing local and national policies, as well as those of your own practice and proposing developments and improvements to service delivery.

• Lead healthcare services changes

  Identify and lead changes in healthcare service in response to patient needs and service demand in order to ensure continuous quality improvement of the service.

• Contribute to public health campaigns

  Contribute to local or national public health campaigns by evaluating health priorities, the government changes in regulations and advertising the new trends in relation to health care and prevention.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB