The Future of public health services in Europe: Strategic intersection with healthcare services

Abstract

This paper outlines some of the major challenges on strengthening public health, including consideration of public health services (PHS) and infrastructure, as well as some of the public health aspects of health care services. The purpose of the paper is to articulate the roles and functions of PHS and health care services. Such integrated health systems that combine individual and community approaches have an important potential to improve health outcomes. In line with the broad scope of PHS, where it spans the health-generating activities of both the health system and other sectors of society, it analyses its role and links towards health outcomes. The paper further presents the 10 horizontal ‘essential public health operations’ (EPHOs), describing the core PHS within each of them, as the unifying and guiding basis to set up, monitor and evaluate actions and strategies for development of public health. It concludes that strengthening PHS calls for implementation of the EPHOs while recognising strategic linkages with health care services and other sectors of society. Within this context, opportunities for intersection emerge towards improvement of health care quality, health promotion, disease prevention, and health surveillance.