Our Framework

Our Construct: Population Health Approach

• What is Population Health?

  Community Health and Wellness Fort Erie is operating via a Population Health approach. Population Health is a relatively new field that encompasses the realms of public health, community health, and health promotion¹. Population Health reaches beyond that basic definition of "health" to include the multitude of factors and conditions that not only affect the individual, but the health status of an entire population. In other words, this framework focuses on improving the health status of an entire population, rather than individuals.

  Again, in accordance with the "healthy community" concept, a community that utilises the population health approach, in addition to being a healthier community, will:

  (i) yield more productive contributions to societal development;
  (ii) require less health care/social support;
  (iii) in the long term, be able to support/sustain itself¹.
  

• What are the Determinants of Health?
  
  The World Health Organization identified the existence of "determinants of health" which are factors that influence the health of the individual. These determinants do not work in isolation of each other and must be looked at all together to determine what support or influences exist in an individual's and community's life to enable them to stay healthy or improve their health. The determinants include areas such as economic, social, and physical environments, early childhood development, individual capacity and coping skills, personal health practices, health services, and human biology¹. For example, if a person cannot write, they may have a higher chance to not work in a reasonably paying job; with lower income, this will effect the quality of housing, nutrition, self-esteem etc. which inevitably negatively affects the health of the individual.

¹Health Canada (Population and Public Health Branch- Strategic Policy Directorate) 2001.
The Population Health Template: Key Elements and Actions That Define A Population Health Approach.