Medicine and Public Health: The Power of Collaboration

Author: Lasker, Roz D., MD (The New York Academy of Medicine) Bibliographic Data: (ISBN: 0924143053, The New York Academy of Medicine, 1997), 178 pages, soft cover. Audience 1: Public Health Professionals Audience 2: Health Policy ProfessionalsOther Info: The book contains two-color illustrations. DESCRIPTION: This monograph showcases collaborations between public health and medical practitioners with the intent of increasing the quantity and quality of such collaborations and to overcome the various obstacles and differences that have kept these professions on separate tracks in recent decades. PURPOSE: The prime objectives of the report were to understandably present the forces that have kept medicine and public health apart during the 20th century and to describe a wide array of activities for which there are current examples of successful collaboration. The monograph largely succeeds on both accounts. The New York Academy of Medicine's Committee on Medicine and Public Health and a well-respected former federal health official provided the direction and credibility necessary for such an undertaking. AUDIENCE: Ostensibly written for current practitioners in medicine and public health as a guide to collaborations, this monograph will have its greatest impact on young professionals in training and others involved in collaborative enterprises in the health sector.FEATURES: A unique feature of the monograph is its extensive use of case studies and examples of successful collaborations. These stories are told in simple and direct terms and do much to make the underlying concepts and wisdom come alive. Other features of this book are not particularly noteworthy. There is very scant use of tables, charts, and other illustrations. References are adequate in number and generally quite pertinent and up to date. Table of contents, index, and appearance of the book are simple but appropriate for this sort of monograph. ASSESSMENT: This work represents an important contribution in several respects. First, it tells an interesting and important story of the separate but unequal approaches to improving health deployed by practitioners of medicine and public health since 1900. Second, it provides a conceptual and operational framework for the Medicine and Public Health initiative recently partnered by the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association. This is actually the first meaningful joint venture between these two important organizations. Finally, it provides a useful framework for thinking about collaborations involving a broader collection of partners. In presenting real life stories of actual collaborations, the generic principles and strategies behind successful collaborations can be appreciated and deployed in other settings. Although some may view this quite narrowly as a policy statement, many other audiences will find this monograph of interest and value. It is also freely available on the Internet; in either format it is a useful addition to health science libraries at all levels.SCORE: Weighted Numerical Score: 80 - *** Reviewed by: Bernard J. Turnock, MD, MPH (University of Illinois at Chicago)