Linking the delivery of health care to service population needs: the role of the epidemiologist on the health care management team.

Historically, in the United States, the practice of most epidemiologists has been oriented toward the public health needs of persons living in communities, and has focused on the determination of rates of disease, risk factors for disease, and evaluating prevention and screening efforts. Continuous profound changes in demographic patterns throughout the world, increases in the rates of many chronic and communicable diseases and disabling conditions, and payer constraints all test the ability of health systems managers to provide quality health care. Over time, managers of health systems will recognize that the most cost-effective strategies will be derived from a population-based perspective. With this viewpoint, the epidemiologist can be a pivotal link in assisting the management team to align the delivery of health care services more effectively with the needs of populations targeted for services, either those residing in communities or those currently receiving services by a system, organization, or an individual provider. This article will describe the increasing role of the epidemiologist in health care organizations and illustrate the functions of the epidemiologist on the health care management team based upon the author's own experience at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, an academic health care center in Chicago, Illinois.