Martin Yuille |
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02.10.2018-30.10.2018
Finalisation of popular book on reforming public health
Objectives
Our objective is to finalise the text of a popular book.
Working Title
EXPOSED TO LIFE AND DEATH
Working Subtitle
Averting the crisis in health
Goal of book
The goal of this book is to define and make the case for Precision Public Health
Key messages
1. There is a looming crisis in the health of our nation – and globally.
2. Current policies and practices are not adequate to the task of averting this crisis.
3. The task requires Precision Public Health (concurrent technological and societal action).
Sections and Chapters
Heading
Description (NB Italics denote some content – not a title)
Introduction
Why we wrote this book .New technology (omics and large-scale infrastructure) as one of the drivers of change. Standing on the shoulders of giants. Discussion of Goal and Aims. Summary of the argument through an outline of the Sections.
Section 1: The looming crisis in health: facts and fictions
Chapter 1
Obesity is a big problem and it’s getting bigger (the trajectory of the epidemic)
Chapter 2
One problem leads to another (diabetes, CVD, cancer, depression etc.)
Chapter 3
How we all lose out (fragmentation, isolation, productivity, inequality)
Section 2: Health is a risky business
Chapter 4
Why people become unwell (inflammatory processes; auto-immunity; somatic mutation)
Chapter 5
What is risk? (probability theory and statistics)
Chapter 6
Diet and nutrition (biochemistry and physiology)
Chapter 7
Exposures and the exposome (NB genes as an exposure)
Chapter 8
Measuring the risks (the science and technology of exogenous and endogenous risk assessment in individuals and populations)
Section 3: The risks we have feared
Chapter 9
When cleanliness was next to godliness (the mystery of cleanliness; Public Health pre-history ;siting new cities; aqueducts and drains; quarantining for infection; well-being as social glue)
Chapter 10
Rational Public Health: reasons to be fearful (history of germ theory; the birth of epidemiology = the death of its experimental innovation; successes with infectious disease risk; partial success with tobacco exposure)
Chapter 11
Is Public Health healthy? (prevention is not as merit-worthy as cure; confused policies and practices; vested interests.)
Section 4: Complex risks – tough choices
Chapter 12
Is it down to me? Or is it down to all of us? (transcending rational choice theory vs humanism)
Chapter 13
Breaking down silos (why we need institutional change and what are the priorities)
Chapter 14
Health champions (as social change agents for reduced fragmentation, reduced isolation and improved population health)
Chapter 15
21st century tools (population-wide risk assessment; health system reform; Big Data; biomarkers)
Conclusion: Public Health is the hallmark of civilisation
Precision Public Health means concurrent action. From theory to practise. Recapitulation. Proof of concept. How to measure success. Opportunities from devolution. Modelling implementation. The usual reasons not to change anything (e.g. the “Nanny State”). Opportunity costs.