The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

March, 1955The Health BulletinMost public health employes have acongenitally acquired and administrativelyaggravated aversion to filling outrecords and making reports. Always askyourself: Will it be useful and will itbe used? No record should ever beadopted if it serves only to collect dataand dust.The keeping of registers of individualswho are known to have certain chronicdiseases or impairments is usually referredto with a great deal of prideby the administrator; however, frequentlythey are not put to good usebecause they are not analyzed and reviewedfrom time to time. A study ofthese registers will often show thatcertain diseases tend to be more prevalentin certain geographic areas oramong certain social and economicgroups. This should lead to an evaluationof that particular program todetermine if it is meeting the needs ofthis particular area or group.Efficient Management of Health Educationand Information. Every publichealth worker is daily engaged inhealth education, teaching and givinginformation. While he may not realizeit, the truth is that every public healthactivity is, or at least should be, ofhealth education value. Otherwise theactivity has been inefficiently performed.We must educate as we serve. Inaddition to this daily educational work,we must also have a planned programof health education and information;otherwise the community soon takesour activities for granted. Like anyother program, this one must alwayshave a definite objective. The promiscuousdistribution of literature, showingof films, furnishing articles fornewspapers and using radio and televisionshould not be done simply forthe sake of being able to list theseactivities in our annual reports. If wedecide to stimulate or motivate thepublic, then it must be for a definitepurpose. If a film is to be shown, itshould be in support of an educationalprogram toward a definite objective.Organized classes should be well plannedand the teaching supported by allthe educational media available. Fortunateis the health unit that has atrained health educator on its staff, forhe is an expert in the efficient managementof all the tools of health education.Every State department nowhas one or more health education consultantswho are available and can beof great assistance, not only in healtheducation programs but in stimulatingcommunity interest in health activitiesand assisting in the overall programplanning of the local unit.Group teaching can save much timein giving basic information on diet,preparation of baby formulae, operationof food-handling equipment, etc. Thismethod is also applicable to groupshaving similar problems, such as foodhandlers' classes, classes for diabetics,the obese, etc. However, we should notforget the adage—"What I hear I forget.What I see I remember. What I doI know." This means that classes andgroup instruction will have to be supplementedwith individual counselingand teaching regarding those activitiesthat the individual must know.Efficient Management In Supervisionand Regulation. The laws of our statesgive health departments legal authorityto supervise and regulate many activitiesin the field of health. If a departmentfrequently finds it necessary toresort to legal action, then it is performingthis responsibility in an inefficientmanner. Health laws and regulationsare usually established to set astandard and serve as a starting pointfor the education of those concerned.Only as a last resort should we takelegal action to enforce them.Is it not better to keep in touch withhousing projects and contact the developmentagency early so as to inspectthe site, test the soil and agree on sizeof septic tanks, etc. instead of waitinguntil the buildings and tanks are completedand we are asked to make finalinspection? We should prevent publichealth problems as well as disease.Are we to continue our program ofinspecting dairies, foodhandling establishmentsor other institutions in aroutine manner with a check sheet andgrade card? When are we going to