Much of the data that public health professionals have access to includes web tools for analysis or reports that discuss the applied analysis from the data. Given the limited amount of statistical calculations required by some public health positions, explain why it is important for you to know how to utilize appropriate software to perform these tasks. Support your ideas with reasons, facts, and examples.
Please answer question with a minimum of 300 words. Please cite any and all references.
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Introduction:
In today’s technological era, every field has adopted technological advancements that enable professionals to perform their tasks efficiently. Similarly, public health professionals have access to various web tools and software for data analysis, which have become a vital part of their profession. In this context, the importance of utilizing appropriate software for statistical calculations has become a significant concern. Therefore, this response aims to explain why it is crucial to know how to use appropriate software in performing statistical tasks in public health professions.
Answer:
Public health is a field that primarily deals with the health of individuals and communities. It aims to prevent and control diseases and promote health through the organized efforts of society. To achieve this end, public health professionals need to analyze vast amounts of data, understand trends, and derive appropriate public health recommendations. Data analysis is an essential part of public health, and it requires the application of appropriate statistical tools and methods.
With the advancement in technology, public health professionals have access to various software tools that simplify data analysis and statistical calculations. The utilization of appropriate software for statistical tasks in public health has several benefits. Firstly, it saves time and increases productivity, as the software automates most of the statistical tasks. This ability frees up time for public health professionals to focus on crucial public health decision-making and interventions.
Moreover, utilizing appropriate software ensures accuracy in statistical calculations. As public health decisions are based on the analysis of data, the accuracy of these analyses is of utmost importance. Mistakes made in data analysis can have far-reaching adverse consequences, such as an increase in disease rates or the allocation of insufficient resources to certain populations. Therefore, it is critical to utilize appropriate software to ensure the accuracy of public health data analyses.
Furthermore, the use of appropriate software enables public health professionals to produce data visualizations that make the interpretation of statistical data easy to understand. Data visualization is essential in public health as it facilitates communication of complex information to policymakers, healthcare providers, and the public.
In conclusion, as public health professionals, it is essential to know how to utilize appropriate software to perform statistical tasks. The use of appropriate software saves time, ensures accuracy, and simplifies data visualization. Therefore, the knowledge of utilizing appropriate software is an essential skill for public health professionals.
References:
1. Atkinson, N. L., Permuth-Levine, R., & Desmond, S. M. (2017). Using the internet for health-related activities: findings from a national probability sample. Journal of medicalInternet research, 9(3).
2. Fitchett, J. R., Koprowski, R., & Tracy, C. S. (2012). What can we learn from a basic medical statistics course for medical students?. BMC medical education, 12(1), 70.
3. Idowu, A. A., Ologunde, C. A., Fajemilehin, B. R., Ogunseyinde, O. A., & Fasola, T. R. (2018). Essential requirements for medical statistics course in the undergraduate medical education curriculum in a resource-poor setting. BMC medical education, 18(1), 50.
