The Field of Medicine With The Greatest Impact on Society
By Amirali Banani
October 10, 2022
Medicine has always had a profound impact on society and the health of human beings. Driven by science and clever discoveries, medicine has prolonged and enriched the quality of the lives of mankind, and each branch of medicine has its own unique influence on society. There is one medical specialty though in particular that has the greatest impact on society, leading us through global pandemics and pushing the boundaries of biostatistical analysis investigating the sources and causes of diseases, their growth and transmission, and strategies for their regulation: Epidemiology (Community medicine). This medical specialty serves to protect the health of human beings and inform society about factors that can both deteriorate and enhance health.
Epidemiologists play a crucial role in protecting the health of citizens. According to the CDC, epidemiologists use descriptive and analytical epidemiology along with experience, epidemiologic judgement, and understanding of local conditions in “diagnosing” the health of a community and proposing appropriate, practical and acceptable public health interventions to control and prevent disease in the community. Public health professionals can then utilize these vital intervention proposals proposed by epidemiologists to develop methods to intervene in the proliferation of diseases by implementing operative disease preventative measures in society. Experts suggest that medical epidemiologists have added 25 years to the average life expectancy of people living in the United States since 1947. Without the tireless efforts of epidemiologists in protecting the health of human beings, millions of more lives would have been lost to pandemics and other global health crises that have occurred within the past several decades.
An article published by the Japan Epidemiological Association in 2015 states that the major objective of epidemiology is to contribute to fulfilling the definition of public health as “a science and art to promote health and prevent disease by organized effort of society”. With thousands of medical and biostatistical reports being published every day by epidemiologists, epidemiology has proven itself vital in the field of medicine and society as a study which links several disciplines that altogether provide essential data and information for mankind to be informed of health risks associated with various aggravating health factors, as well as practices to ameliorate lifestyle by enhancing mental and physical well-being. A report published on Columbia Public Health indicates that the field has made some truly impressive contributions to humanity, including the eradication of smallpox, fluoridation of drinking water, improved motor vehicle safety (for environmental health concerns), and recognition of tobacco as a health hazard. With such contributions, it’s not surprising that the discipline has saved so many lives through preventative and health-improving initiatives that have been developed as a result of extensive research and analysis.
Epidemiology is a medical discipline that is often overlooked by many, though its significance in civilization and in protecting the health of human beings cannot be understated. From my standpoint, it’s essentially the branch of medicine that forms the backbone of health care systems across the world, making it integral to society. Not only do epidemiologists lead humanity through devastating pandemics, they also fuel society with health-enhancing publications and set guidelines to better protect the health of people. For decades, epidemiology has guarded the health of human beings from the most severe health crises, and it continues to do so today.
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