Medical records and information from peer-reviewed literature
Depending on the objectives at each of the levels in the public health pyramid, different sources of data might be used to establish the targets. In the bottom tier, the effort is to address the social and economic determinants of health. Social-economic factors such as poverty, education, and lack of access to sanitation are the key determinants of health. In this level, sources of data that can be used include surveys as they provide substantial information on the distribution of resources (Redmond, 2011). Besides, information from the disease registries can be used to determine how these social-economic factors affect public health. The second-bottom tier, advocates for the change in context to encourage healthy decisions. The common source of date likely to be used herein is information from surveys that give information on the distribution of resources across a particular region. Using information from the surveys helps in providing better services such as clean water to the people. The third tier covers long-lasting interventions. Herein, the objective is to offer lasting solutions to the existing challenges. Medical records and information from peer-reviewed literature might be used to provide better information to people.
The clinical intervention tier is critical as it seeks to offer clinically accepted and proven intervention, especially in chronic illnesses, which have a significant health impact (Frieden, 2010). In this tier, the preferred sources of information include surveillance, medical records, and disease registration. Information from the surveillance is primary as it provides information on successful interventions. The topmost tier seeks to offer counseling and education to people in society. Again, the primary source of information is peer-reviewed literature, as it offers almost accurate information. Besides, medical records might also be helpful as they indicate the priority of those in need of the intervention.