ABPM Public Health case studies
ABPM Public Health · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Public Health and General Preventive Medicine is one of the primary specialty certifications offered by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). The specialty focuses on promoting health, preventing disease, and managing the health of communities and defined populations, and its practitioners combine population-based public health skills with knowledge of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention-oriented clinical practice across a wide variety of settings. The ABPM Public Health case studies are 5 cases and about 2,530 words.
1A Cluster of Legionellosis at a Suburban Hotel
A county health department receives reports of 6 cases of Legionnaires' disease among people who stayed at the same 200-room hotel during a 3-week window. Ages range 44-79; 4 are smokers or have COPD; 2 died.
655 words, about 3 min2A School Vaccination Exemption Surge
A suburban school district of 12,000 students reports that non-medical vaccine exemptions rose from 1.8% to 4.6% over three years, concentrated in two elementary schools where exemption rates exceed 9%. During the same period, the county has seen a measles case imported by an unvaccinated traveler and two pertussis clusters.
451 words, about 2 min3Elevated Blood Lead in a Neighborhood Near a Former Smelter
A pediatric clinic reports that 7 of 240 children screened in a neighborhood had blood lead levels ≥5 µg/dL, compared with 1 of 300 in a comparison neighborhood. The area contains a former smelter that closed 40 years ago; soil in some yards may be contaminated.
451 words, about 2 min4Emergency Department Boarding During a Respiratory Season Surge
A 300-bed community hospital's emergency department is boarding 18-22 admitted patients per day in hallways, with wait times exceeding 8 hours. During a respiratory virus surge, the hospital is at 96% bed occupancy.
590 words, about 3 min5Interpreting a Screening Program's Falling Death Rate
A county launches a colorectal cancer screening program. Over five years, screening uptake rises from 40% to 62%, and colorectal cancer mortality in the county falls from 18 to 14 per 100,000.
383 words, about 2 min