Call for Papers: Learning from the Past: Using History to Enhance Public Health Practice and Policy
by Nicolas Rasmussen and Karen Kruse Thomas
It is with great pleasure that we introduce our "Special Collection on Learning from the Past: Using History to Enhance Public Health Practice and Policy." This collection will bring together historians of health with practitioners of public health and health policy, to find ways for past experiments and experiences to benefit the health of populations today
Despite an ever-changing landscape of health threats, social attitudes, and opportunities, population health practitioners continually draw on the same slowly evolving toolbox of health education and intervention techniques. Thus, there is much that can be learned from past successes and failures. Yet there is little opportunity to learn it because the literature in public health history is under-developed and largely inaccessible to practitioners. This Special Collection aims to remedy both problems, by inviting health historians to make their scholarship more application-oriented, and by inviting seasoned professionals to share past experience in the evidence-based, rigorous form employed by historians.
Authors in this collection will include some of leading scholars in public health history, as well as public health leaders committed to sharing useful past experiences through arguments that go far beyond anecdote. Their contributions cover a wide range of topics, from past efforts to address problems ranging from health disparities to infectious outbreaks to global chronic disease threats, and innovative campaign techniques running the gamut from health education to mass clinical intervention. The manuscripts will all be reviewed by both historical scholars and relevant health experts.
We believe that this Special Collection will be of immense interest to practitioners and heath historians, opening an avenue for communication and collaboration that will benefit the work of both – and also, ultimately, population health. If there are any questions we invite you to email us, the Guest Editors, Nicolas Rasmussen or Karen Thomas.
We encourage you to submit your contributions here.
About the Authors
