hot research topics in public health

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What are the trending topics in Public Health and related disciplines?

You can identify some of the most discussed and influential topics with the help of Altmetric attention scores, which take into account several outlets including social media, news articles, and policy documents.

Drawing from a selection of Public Health and Medicine journals, we have compiled a list of the articles that have been mentioned the most over the past few months.

Discover the articles that are trending right now, and catch up on current topics in Public Health and related disciplines. We will update our collection every few weeks; come back to this page to be on top of the latest conversations in Public Health and Medicine. Previously featured articles are listed here .

You can also sign up for e-alerts to make sure you never miss the latest research from our journals.

*Last updated October 2021*

Age and Ageing

Alcohol and alcoholism, american journal of epidemiology, annals of work exposures and health, epidemiologic reviews, european journal of public health, family practice, health education research, health policy and planning, health promotion international, international health, international journal of epidemiology, international journal for quality in health care, journal of public health, journal of travel medicine, journal of tropical pediatrics, nicotine & tobacco research, transactions of the royal society of tropical medicine & hygiene, behaviour change interventions to increase physical activity in hospitalised patients: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.

There is moderate-certainty evidence that behaviour change interventions are associated with increased physical activity levels among older hospitalised patients.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders in Young Adulthood: Findings from a Canadian Nationally Representative Survey

This study from Canada found that one in three young adults with ADHD had a lifetime alcohol use disorder, and that young adults with ADHD were also three times more likely to develop a substance use disorder. Targeted outreach and interventions for this extremely vulnerable population are warranted.

Expiring Eviction Moratoriums and COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality

According to this study, resuming evictions in summer 2020 was associated with increased COVID-19 incidence and mortality in US states, with an estimated 433,700 excess cases and 10,700 excess deaths. Explore more research on COVID-19 in a curated collection from the AJE: https://academic.oup.com/aje/pages/covid-19

The Development of a Covid-19 Control Measures Risk Matrix for Occupational Hygiene Protective Measures

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) developed a control banding matrix for employers and others to help assess the risks of COVID-19 infection, and calls for further work to validate the reliability of the tool. Browse the Annals' collection on occupational hygiene for virus protection: https://academic.oup.com/annweh/pages/covid-19

Immunization to Protect the US Armed Forces: Heritage, Current Practice, and Prospects

In 1777, George Washington ordered a mandatory inoculation program for his troops, in what would become the first mass immunization mandate in the US. This archival article discussess and contextualizes immunization practices for US Armed Forces.

Does face mask use elicit risk-compensation? Quasi-experimental evidence from Denmark during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Responding to concerns that that face mask use could elicit a false sense of security and lead to riskier behaviours, this study from Denmark found that mask use overall correlated positively with protective behaviours.

Evidence reversals in primary care research: a study of randomized controlled trials

While medical practice is often undermined by subsequent investigation, randomized trials relevant to primary care generally hold up over time.

Social media influencers can be used to deliver positive information about the flu vaccine: findings from a multi-year study

This study shows the potential for using social media influencers to inspire positive engagements on pro-vaccine health messaging. For more content on accurate information's importance for public health, browse the latest article collection from HER: https://academic.oup.com/her/pages/covid-19

COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plans from 106 countries: a review from a health systems resilience perspective

Current emergency response planning does not have adequate coverage to maintain health systems functionality for essential health service delivery alongside emergency-specific interventions and healthcare. The findings from this study can help align health emergency planning with broader population health needs.

Rise and demise: a case study of public health nutrition in Queensland, Australia, over three decades

This case study shows that that ongoing efforts are needed to improve sustainability of nutrition policy and programmes to address all diet-related diseases.

Institutional and behaviour-change interventions to support COVID-19 public health measures: a review by the Lancet Commission Task Force on public health measures to suppress the pandemic

This review article outlines evidence for a range of institutional measures and behaviour-change measures, and highlights research and knowledge gaps.

Quantifying impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through life-expectancy losses: a population-level study of 29 countries

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered significant mortality increases in 2020 of a magnitude not witnessed since World War II in Western Europe or the breakup of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe.

Gender in the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) Checklist

The authors propose an update to the Equator’s Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist, with the aim of enhancing inclusivity.

Rate of reinfections after SARS-CoV-2 primary infection in the population of an Italian province: a cohort study

This study confirms previous findings on a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. If confirmed, these findings suggest that more targeted restriction policies can be applied to the subjects that recovered after a first infection. Read highly cited papers on COVID-19 from the Journal of Public Health: https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/pages/covid-19

The reproductive number of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is far higher compared to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus

Given the Delta variant's high reproductive number associated with higher transmissibility, in a context of globally still low vaccine coverage rates and lower vaccine effectiveness, public health and social measures will need to be substantially strengthened. A high reproductive number also means that much higher vaccine coverage rates need to be achieved compared to the originally assumed.

Neurological Complications of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Neurological complications are rare in children suffering from COVID-19. Still, these children are at risk of developing seizures and encephalopathy, more in those suffering from severe illness.

Reactions to Sales Restrictions on Flavored Vape Products or All Vape Products Among Young Adults in the United States

The researchers examined support for and perceived impact of e-cigarette sales restrictions. Findings suggest that bans on flavored vape products could have a positive impact on lower-risk users, but that other young adult user subgroups may not experience benefit.

Covid-19 and Health at Work

An editorial from the earlier stages of the pandemic highlights the importance of properly fitted respirators for worker safety and outlines occupational hygiene measures.

Lessons from the field: delivering trachoma mass drug administration safely in a COVID-19 context

Guidelines for safe mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases were developed in a COVID-19 context; training and implementation were assessed through an observation checklist.

For more research on the impact of COVID-19 on NTDs, explore the March 2021 special issue: https://academic.oup.com/trstmh/issue/115/3

Previously featured

Age and frailty are independently associated with increased COVID-19 mortality and increased care needs in survivors: results of an international multi-centre study

Trajectories of Alcohol Use and Related Harms for Managed Alcohol Program Participants over 12 Months Compared with Local Controls: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Estimating the Effect of Social Distancing Interventions on COVID-19 in the United States

Selecting Controls for Minimizing SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Transmission in Workplaces and Conserving Respiratory Protective Equipment Supplies

What Do We Know About the Association Between Firearm Legislation and Firearm-Related Injuries?

Denialism: what is it and how should scientists respond?

Acute cooling of the feet and the onset of common cold symptoms

The effect of falsely balanced reporting of the autism–vaccine controversy on vaccine safety perceptions and behavioral intentions

Climate change: an urgent priority for health policy and systems research

Power, control, communities and health inequalities I: theories, concepts and analytical frameworks

Research ethics in context: understanding the vulnerabilities, agency and resourcefulness of research participants living along the Thai–Myanmar border

Tobacco smoking and mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults in Australia

Quality and safety in the time of Coronavirus: design better, learn faster

Years of life lost associated with COVID-19 deaths in the United States

In-flight transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a review of the attack rates and available data on the efficacy of face masks

Stability of the Initial Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder by DSM-5 in Children: A Short-Term Follow-Up Study

Impact of Tobacco Smoking on the Risk of COVID-19: A Large Scale Retrospective Cohort Study

Mental health of staff working in intensive care during COVID-19

The benefits and costs of social distancing in high- and low-income countries

A classification tree to assist with routine scoring of the Clinical Frailty Scale

Recent Advances in the Potential of Positive Allosteric Modulators of the GABAB Receptor to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder

The recent oubreak of smallpox in Meschede, West Germany

Your Hair or Your Service: An Issue of Faith for Sikh Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Emerging Infections: Pandemic Influenza

Identifying the views of adolescents in five European countries on the drivers of obesity using group model building

Novel multi-virus rapid respiratory microbiological point-of-care testing in primary care: a mixed-methods feasibility evaluation

Public health crisis in the refugee community: little change in social determinants of health preserve health disparities

In search of ‘community’: a critical review of community mental health services for women in African settings

COVID-19, a tale of two pandemics: novel coronavirus and fake news messaging

Disrupting vaccine logistics

Use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to identify confounders in applied health research: review and recommendations

Measurement and monitoring patient safety in prehospital care: a systematic review

Black Lives Matter protests and COVID-19 cases: relationship in two databases

The positive impact of lockdown in Wuhan on containing the COVID-19 outbreak in China

Severe Malnutrition and Anemia Are Associated with Severe COVID in Infants

A Single-Arm, Open-Label, Pilot, and Feasibility Study of a High Nicotine Strength E-Cigarette Intervention for Smoking Cessation or Reduction for People With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Who Smoke Cigarettes

Healthcare workers and protection against inhalable SARS-CoV-2 aerosols

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226 Hot Public Health Thesis Topics For Top Grades

Are you stuck trying to get the best current public health research topics for thesis and writing it? If yes, know you are not alone. A lot of students find the tasks challenging, but we are here to help. Keep reading our informative guide that demonstrates how to prepare an engaging public health paper.

We will also highlight hot 226 health policy topics for paper and other public health ideas for dissertation that you can use for top grades. Why settle for less when we can help you select the best college or university papers?

What Is Public Health?

Before looking at the top public health statistics undergraduate thesis topics or other public health research ideas, let’s start with the definition. So, what is public health?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), public health is “the art and science of preventing diseases, helping to prolong life and promote health using organized efforts. Good examples of public health efforts include preventing outbreaks, educating the public on health choices, promoting fitness, preparing for emergencies, and avoiding the spread of infectious diseases. Public health

How To Write A Great Public Health Dissertation

If you are a graduate or masters student, one of the most comprehensive documents that you need to prepare is the dissertation. It is an expansive paper and comes at the end of your course. Remember that you need to ensure it is prepared well because a team of professors will ultimately evaluate it. So, here are the main steps that you need to follow to prepare a high quality dissertation:

Identify the topic of study Comprehensively research the topic and identify the main points to support it Develop the thesis statement for the dissertation (this thesis will ultimately be tested after gathering your data) Develop an outline for the dissertation. This guide should tell you what to write at what specific instance. Here is a sample outline: Topic of the study Introduction. Start with the thesis statement, followed by the objectives of the study. Then, the rest of the introduction should be used to set the background for the study. Literature review: Review relevant resources about the topic. Methodology: Explain the methodology that was used during the study. Is Results and analysis: Provide the results gathered during the study. Discussion and conclusion: Here, you should discuss the study results and demonstrate whether they approve or disapprove the thesis statement. If you found any gaps in the previous studies, highlight them too and call for further studies. Bibliography: This is a list of all the resources you used to prepare the paper. Write the first draft following the outline we have just listed above. Write the final copy by refining the first draft, proofreading, and editing it.

Awesome Public Health Thesis Topics

Here are the leading thesis topics in public health for top grades. You can use them as they are or tweak a little to suit your preference.

Public Health Thesis Topics In Mental Issues

What is the role of public health in addressing mental issues in society?
Seasonal affective disorder: A review of the disorder’s prevalence rates.
Society should always listen to the needs of mentally ill persons.
Eating disorders in adults: A review of the treatment strategies used for adults in the UK.
What is the relation between climate change and emerging public health issues?
Comparing depression prevalence rates in the UK to those of the US.
What are the main causes of anxiety disorders in society?
A review of the connection between HIV/AIDS and mental health issues in society.
Running a public health facility: What is the most important equipment?
Emerging public health issues in developing countries.
Analyzing the psychological problems of breast cancer.
What strategies should people use to prevent their mental health from social media dangers?
A review of the public health benefits associated with active lifestyles.
Stress: Why is it a major risk factor for mental health in many communities?
What are the most common mental health issues in society today?
Comparing the rates of depression and stress in China and the UK.
Addressing anxiety-related disorders: Is cognitive-behavior therapy the best treatment method?
A review of the economic burden of living with a person suffering from anxiety disorders.
How does depression impact the quality of life?
Comparing training of public health officers in the US to India.

Unique Research Topics In Public Health

Surrogacy: A review of associated ethical issues.
Prevalence of medical errors in hospitals: A review of the policies used to prevent the problem in the United States.
Blood transfusion: What are the side effects?
A review of doctors’ roles in promoting healthy lifestyles.
Maintaining healthy body weight: Comparing the effectiveness of the recommended methods.
A review of organ donation trends in Europe and Asia.
Analyzing the ethical factors around cloning: When should it be allowed?
The ethics of human experimentation.
Comparing the rates of heart attacks in women to men in the United States.
What are the main causes of heart attacks? Can it be prevented?
Progress in diabetes studies and treatment: Is it possible to get a cure in the future?
Biological weapons and their impacts on society: A review of the Leukemia rates in Japan.
Pre-diabetes in children: What are the main symptoms, and how can it be addressed?

Public Health Paper Topics On COVID-19

How will COVID-19 change life?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-isolation?
Life lessons that you learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What challenges has your community faced during COVID-19 pandemic?
School life during COVID-19 pandemic.
A review of mass media operations during pandemic.
What projects did you undertake during the pandemic?
A review of projects that your community undertook during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A closer look at the backlash against Asians in Europe at the start COVID-19 pandemic period.
Preparing for the next pandemic: What lessons did the world learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?
The best strategies for staying healthy during a pandemic.
Is there anything that we could have done to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic?
Comparing the effectiveness of Europe and American healthcare preparedness for tackling disasters.
A review of mental health status in a community of your choice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A review of COVID-19 emergence theories: Which one do you think is more credible?
Comparing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to Ebola.
Vaccines development for viral infections: What made the development of the COVID-19 vaccine possible so fast, whereas that of HIV/AIDS has taken so long?
A review of the vaccine development process.
Time for review: How effectively do you think your government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Rethinking public health on a global scale: Demonstrating why effective healthcare is only possible when looked at globally.

Interesting Public Health Research Topic Ideas

What is the importance of learning public health in school?
Identify and review a common public health issue in your community.
The history of human health: Comparing what was considered healthy in ancient times to what is referred to as healthy today.
Going vegan: How can it impact your health?
Excessive weight: Is it the new threat to human civilization?
Is bodybuilding healthy?
Body positive: Is it a new health standard or ignorance of body issues?
Things to consider when selecting healthy food to eat.
Why psychological health should be part of every community in society.
The health of newborns: What is the difference between their healthcare and that of adults?
Emerging trends in the healthcare industry: How can the latest trends benefit society?
Comparing depression and anxiety in two countries of your choice.
Physical wellness must include healthy behavioral patterns and nutrition.
A sense of belonging is paramount to personal and community health.
What is the relationship between spirituality and public health?
A review of stigmatization of mental health issues in a community of your choice.
Is it possible to prevent depression?
At what point should children start learning sex-related education?
Comparing the two main public health issues in two cities: London and New York.
What is the relationship between poverty and public health?

Hot Researchable Topics In Public Health

The resurgence of measles in society: The best guidance for clinicians.
Tackling the growing national drug problem.
Bioterrorism preparedness for global disasters.
A review of recent vitamin D recommendations for older adults.
Strategies for maintaining maternal mortality at low levels across the globe.
Efforts by Asian governments to reduce infections from using unsafe water.
Over-the-counter drug abuse in Europe: Compare two countries of your choice.
Health care providers’ roles in preventing bullying in society.
Knowledge management in the UK healthcare organizations.
The health benefits of good healthcare waste management.
Characteristics of dental wastes in hospitals.
Comparing the most prevalent public health issues in developed and developing nations.
Latest trends in financing public health.
The relevance of clinical epidemiology in public health.
Evidence based public health.
Epidemiological burden of HIV/AIDS in developing countries.
Addressing cervical cancer in developing countries: Is it possible to eliminate it completely?
Ethics in public health clinical research.
Comparing the strategies used in teaching and motivating public health professionals in developing and developed countries.

Research Topics In Public Health For Masters

Advertising and impacts on food choices in the community.
The use of stem cell technologies for cancer treatment: What are the latest trends?
Bio-printing: Is it the future of organ transplants?
Nutrition education: How does it promote healthy diets?
Exercising: What role does it play in promoting strength and balance in the elderly?
Weight loss surgery: What are the key advantages and disadvantages?
Heart disease is a major public health issue in society.
Alternative strategies for treating depression in society: Are they effective?
Healthcare leadership and its importance in public health.
Legal aspects of public health care in the society.
Mental disabilities in patients: A review of the emerging trends in the UK.
How does the United States promote the development of public health?
Inequalities in medicine: What impact does it have in public health?
The most controversial issues in public health in the UK.
What are the most preferred storage systems for medical supplies in the UK public health facilities?
Reimagining the public health systems on the globe: Where do you see the UK health system in the next 20 years?

Hot Thesis Topics Public Health

Mandatory overtime work for medical staff: How does it impact their commitment to their job?
Nursing shortage and its impact in public health.
Strategies for improving public health in the EU.
Mental health issues among asylum seekers in the United States.
Common mental issues among veterans returning from war: A case study of the United States.
What functions does management play in healthcare settings when handling key public health issues?
How poor relationships between nurses and doctors can impact public health services delivery.
Third-party players in public health and their roles.
Financial reporting standards in public health facilities.
What is the correlation between revenue collection in society and the quality of patient services?
Reviewing the coordination of public health officials during disasters.
The importance of staff training on quality of health services.
Comparing the differences between alternative medicine and conventional medicine in addressing public health issues in society.
Obesity: What are the main causes in child-going age?
A review of health consequences of caffeine.
Medical marijuana: What are the main pros and cons?
A review of the US Farm Bill Amendments that legalized use of cannabis in the US.
Doing sports: Is it always healthy?
Low-fat or low-carb diet: Which one is better in addressing overweight and diabetes issues?
Preventing communicable diseases: Evaluating the prevention strategies used in Asia.
What is the estimated cost of treating heart problems?

Controversial Public Health Dissertation Topics

Smoking and impacts of current efforts to address cancer in the society.
A review of the main causes of heart attacks in society today.
Tobacco ads: Evaluating their impacts and the relationship to the current cancer trends in the society.
Sleep disorders: Explain why they should be considered a public health issue.
Staffing shortage and the impacts in fighting COVID-19 pandemic in Asia.
Analyzing risk management of treating different diseases in the community.
COVID-19 pandemic in numbers: Comparing the infection rates in the developed and developing countries.
Reviewing strategies used in the US public health system to achieve equity: How effective are they?
Analyzing the main challenges in the UK medical care system.
Rising cases of suicides in the society: What are the main causes?
A comprehensive review of strategies used to prevent suicides in the 21st century in the US.
Use of vaccines to prevent diseases: Do adults still need the vaccines?
Heat-related deaths: What strategies should be adopted?
Chronic-diseases prevention: Comparing the strategies used in developing and developed countries.
Are we becoming too dependent on antibiotics in fighting diseases?
Opioid crisis: Are the doctors to blame for it?
Use of blockchain in growing accuracy of clinical trials in medicine.
What dangers are posed by nuclear wastes in society?
Assessing US industrial facilities compliance rates to cut down emissions.
Using clean energy as a strategy of improving public health: What are the expectations?
What is the healthiest country?
Evaluating the correlation between gaming and deviant behavior among children in society.
COVID-19 could have been prevented if WHO was more vigilant?

Public Health Research Questions

Is the high cost of medical healthcare in the United States justified?
What is the correlation between poverty and poor health in society?
Should health care for homeless people be free?
Unconventional medicine: Should it be part of the UK healthcare system?
Should doctors be responsible for medical errors?
Should medical officers or health facilities be allowed to promote selective medical products?
Should all healthcare facilities in the UK be required to have translators for non-English speaking clients?
Mental health issues associated with domestic violence: A case study of France.
Is it a good idea to legalize euthanasia?
What are the benefits of using surgical masks in public?
What are the most important lessons from the different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic reported on the globe?
Who is more responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic?
Ebola or COVID-19 pandemic: Which is worse?
What are the main causes of epidemics on the globe?
Public health planning: What are the most important things to think about?
Should governments pay the cost of rehabilitating drug addicts in society?
Teaching children healthy lifestyles: What are the best strategies?
What problems do people with autism face in society?
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Can J Public Health
v.110(3); 2019 Jun

Language: English | French

Why public health matters today and tomorrow: the role of applied public health research

Lindsay mclaren.

1 University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

Paula Braitstein

2 University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

David Buckeridge

3 McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Damien Contandriopoulos

4 University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada

Maria I. Creatore

5 CIHR Institute of Population & Public Health and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Guy Faulkner

6 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

David Hammond

7 University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

Steven J. Hoffman

8 CIHR Institute of Population & Public Health and York University, Toronto, Canada

Yan Kestens

9 Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada

Scott Leatherdale

Jonathan mcgavock.

10 University of Manitoba and the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

Wendy V. Norman

11 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Candace Nykiforuk

12 University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Valéry Ridde

13 IRD (French Institute For Research on Sustainable Development), CEPED (IRD-Université Paris Descartes), ERL INSERM SAGESUD, Université Paris Sorbonne Cités, Paris, France

14 University of Montreal Public Health Research Institute (IRSPUM), Montreal, Canada

Janet Smylie

Public health is critical to a healthy, fair, and sustainable society. Realizing this vision requires imagining a public health community that can maintain its foundational core while adapting and responding to contemporary imperatives such as entrenched inequities and ecological degradation. In this commentary, we reflect on what tomorrow’s public health might look like, from the point of view of our collective experiences as researchers in Canada who are part of an Applied Public Health Chairs program designed to support “innovative population health research that improves health equity for citizens in Canada and around the world.” We view applied public health research as sitting at the intersection of core principles for population and public health: namely sustainability, equity, and effectiveness. We further identify three attributes of a robust applied public health research community that we argue are necessary to permit contribution to those principles: researcher autonomy, sustained intersectoral research capacity, and a critical perspective on the research-practice-policy interface. Our intention is to catalyze further discussion and debate about why and how public health matters today and tomorrow, and the role of applied public health research therein.

Résumé

La santé publique est essentielle à une société saine, juste et durable. Pour donner forme à cette vision, il faut imaginer une communauté de la santé publique capable de préserver ses valeurs fondamentales tout en s’adaptant et en réagissant aux impératifs du moment, comme les inégalités persistantes et la dégradation de l’environnement. Dans notre commentaire, nous esquissons un portrait possible de la santé publique de demain en partant de notre expérience collective de chercheurs d’un programme canadien de chaires en santé publique appliquée qui visent à appuyer « la recherche innovatrice sur la santé de la population en vue d’améliorer l’équité en santé au Canada et ailleurs ». Nous considérons la recherche appliquée en santé publique comme se trouvant à la croisée des principes fondamentaux de la santé publique et des populations, à savoir : la durabilité, l’équité et l’efficacité. Nous définissons aussi les trois attributs d’une solide communauté de recherche appliquée en santé publique nécessaires selon nous au respect de ces principes : l’autonomie des chercheurs, une capacité de recherche intersectorielle soutenue et une perspective critique de l’interface entre la recherche, la pratique et les politiques. Nous voulons susciter des discussions et des débats approfondis sur l’importance de la santé publique pour aujourd’hui et pour demain et sur le rôle de la recherche appliquée en santé publique.

Introduction

Public health is critical to a healthy, fair, and sustainable society. Public health’s role in this vision stems from its foundational values of social justice and collectivity (Rutty and Sullivan 2010 ) and—we argue—from its position at the interface of research, practice, and policy.

Realizing this vision requires imagining a public health community that can maintain that foundational core, embrace opportunities of our changing world, and predict and adapt to emerging challenges in a timely manner. Unprecedented ecosystem disruption creates far-reaching health implications for which the public health community is unprepared (CPHA 2015 ; Whitmee et al. 2015 ). Human displacement is at its highest levels on record; those forced from home include “stateless people,” who are denied access to basic rights such as education, health care, employment, and freedom of movement ( http://www.unhcr.org/figures-at-a-glance.html ). Significant growth in urban populations creates an urgent need to improve urban environments, including policies to reduce air pollution and prevent sprawl (CPHA 2015 ; Frumkin et al. 2004 ), to reduce the substantial burden of morbidity and mortality attributable to behaviours such as physical inactivity, which negatively impact quality and quantity of life (Manuel et al. 2016 ). Significant and entrenched forms of economic, social, political, and historical marginalization and exclusion (TRC 2015 ), coupled with inequitable and unsustainable patterns of resource consumption and technological development (CPHA 2015 ; Whitmee et al. 2015 ), cause and perpetuate health inequities. These inequities underlie the now longstanding recognition that the unequal distributions of health-damaging experiences are the main determinants of health (CSDH 2008 ; Ridde 2004 ).

These imperatives demand a broadly characterized public health community. A now classic definition of public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts of society (Last 2001 ). Public health, conceptualized in this manner, engages multiple sectors, embraces inclusion and empowerment (Ridde 2007 ), and demands navigating diverse political and economic agendas. Across Canada, a large and growing proportion of provincial spending is devoted to health care, while the proportion devoted to social spending (i.e., the social determinants of health) is small, flat-lining, and in some places declining (Dutton et al. 2018 ). Recent discourse has highlighted a weakening of formal public health infrastructure (Guyon et al. 2017 ) and points of fracture within the field (Lucyk and McLaren 2017 ). Efforts to strengthen public health, in its broadest sense, and to work towards unity of purpose (Talbot 2018 ) are needed now more than ever. What might such efforts look like?

We reflect on this question from our perspectives as researchers who are part of an Applied Public Health Chairs (APHC) program designed to support “innovative population health research that improves health equity for citizens in Canada and around the world.” 1 The applied dimension 2 is facilitated through the program’s focus on “interdisciplinary collaborations and mentorship of researchers and decision makers in health and other sectors” ( http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/48898.html ). The APHC program (Box 1) is part of a broader set of efforts to address gaps in public health capacity, including research. Cross-cutting themes for the 2014 cohort (Box 2) include the following: healthy public policy, supportive environments (e.g., cities), diverse methodological approaches, global health, and health equity; many of which 3 align with a Public Health Services and Systems Research perspective in that they “identif[y] the implementation strategies that work, building evidence to support decision-making across the public health sphere” ( http://www.publichealthsystems.org/ ). Applied public health research is broad and could span CIHR Pillars 4 (social, cultural, environmental, and population health research) and 3 (health services research); the 2014 APHC cohort is predominantly aligned with Pillar 4.

The APHC program represents a significant Canadian investment in public health, and thus provides an important vantage point from which to reflect on why public health matters today, and tomorrow.

Box 1 The Applied Public Health Chairs program

Box 2 2014 cohort of Applied Public Health Chairs

More details available at: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/48898.html

Our proposal

We propose that applied public health research is a critical component of a robust population and public health community. As illustrated in Fig. 1 , we view applied public health research as sitting at the nexus of three core principles: (1) sustainability, (2) equity, and (3) effectiveness, which align with a vision of public health as critical to a healthy, fair, and sustainable society. By sustainability , we mean an approach or way of thinking, about public health in particular (e.g., Schell et al. 2013 ) and population well-being more broadly ( https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs ) that emphasizes “meet[ing] the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland et al. 1987 ). Sustainability has social, economic, environmental, and political dimensions. We define equity as a worldview concerned with the embedded or systemic—and often invisible—drivers of unfair distributions of health-damaging experiences. In Canada and elsewhere, inequity is entrenched in legacies of colonial, structural racism designed to sustain inequitable patterns of power and wealth. Equity transcends diverse axes and perspectives, and an equity lens is action-oriented (Ridde 2007 ). Finally, effectiveness refers to impact or benefits for population well-being, as demonstrated by rigorous research. Explicit core values (e.g., equity), while important, are insufficient without translation to demonstrable outcomes (Potvin and Jones 2011 ). These core principles—sustainability, equity, and effectiveness—overlap and are mutually reinforcing; for example, the inequitable concentration of power, wealth, and exploitation of resources precludes sustainability.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is 41997_2019_196_Fig1_HTML.jpg

Visual depiction of the role and attributes of applied public health research, vis-à-vis core population and public health principles of equity, sustainability, and effectiveness

Although these principles are applicable to the public health community broadly (i.e., including but not limited to researchers), applied public health researchers are uniquely situated to embrace sustainability, equity, and effectiveness when asking questions and generating policy- and practice-relevant knowledge, as illustrated below. Drawing on our collective experiences, we describe three necessary attributes of applied public health research that support our model in Fig. 1 : researcher autonomy, sustained intersectoral research capacity; and a critical perspective on the research-practice-policy interface. We assert that applied public health research is best positioned to contribute meaningfully to the principles of sustainability, effectiveness, and equity if the attributes described below are in place.

Researcher autonomy

Researcher autonomy is a precondition for innovation and independent thinking, and for building and sustaining the conditions for collective efforts. Our working definition of researcher autonomy is the capacity to devote time and energy to activities that, at the researcher’s discretion, facilitate research that embraces principles of sustainability, effectiveness, and equity. Autonomy, beyond the scope of general academic independence, provides the freedom to build and nurture partnerships, and to navigate among universities, health care systems, governments, communities, and across sectors. Effective and respectful partnerships are critical to rigorous intersectoral work and can provide an important platform to discuss systemic forms of inequity (e.g., Olivier et al. 2016 ; Morton Ninomiya et al. 2017 ). Recognizing a potential tension around the role of the researcher in an applied public health context, we deliberately selected the word “autonomy,” which we view as conducive to meaningful collaboration (although that may be experienced differently by different researchers), rather than “independence” which can be seen as contrary to such collaboration. Yet despite their importance, the time and resources to form and sustain those relationships are often not accommodated within funding and academic structures.

Autonomy, when coupled with resources and recognition, permits applied public health researchers to balance foundations of public health with current policy relevance. Although many of us have research programs with particular thematic foci (e.g., physical activity, dental health, HIV), autonomy provides space and credibility to connect those focal issues to enduring and evolving problems in public health (e.g., determinants of population well-being and equity), and to inform the contemporary policy context. Examples include research on health implications of neighbourhood gentrification in urban settings (Steinmetz-Wood et al. 2017 ); using community water fluoridation as a window into public and political understanding and acceptance of public health interventions that are universal in nature (McLaren and Petit 2018 ); and using innovative sampling methods to identify how census methods can perpetuate exclusion (Rotondi et al. 2017 ). That latter work, which estimated that the national census undercounts urban Indigenous populations in Toronto by a factor of approximately 2–4, provides impetus to work towards an inclusive system that respects individual and collective data sovereignty, and that is accountable to the communities from whom data are collected.

These implications of autonomy are consistent with calls for greater reflexivity in public health research (Tremblay and Parent 2014 ).

Insight : To strengthen applied public health research in Canada, researcher autonomy – whereby researchers have the credibility and protected time to set their own agendas in partnerships with the communities they serve – must be privileged.

Sustained intersectoral research capacity

Applied public health research requires funding for resources and infrastructure that are essential to sustain an intersectoral research program, but for which operating funds are otherwise not readily available. Examples include ongoing cohort studies (e.g., Leatherdale et al. 2014 ), research software platforms (e.g., Shaban-Nejad et al. 2017 ), meaningful public sector engagement in developing public health priorities, and knowledge translation activities.

Partnerships, also considered under researcher autonomy above, are one form of intersectoral research capacity. In applied public health research, having strong partnerships in place permits timely response to research opportunities that arise quickly in real-world settings. Examples in our cohort include instances where researchers were able to mobilize for rapid response funding competitions in areas of environment and health, communicable disease in the global South, and Indigenous training networks, because collaborative teams and potential for knowledge co-creation and transfer were already in place.

Insight : A robust applied public health research community requires sustained funding to support foundations of a credible and internationally-competitive research program (e.g., cohort studies, research software platforms, meaningful public sector engagement) that are difficult to resource via usual operating grant channels.

A critical perspective on the research-practice-policy interface

One barrier to evidence-based policy in applied public health is an assumption that evidence is the most important factor in making policy decisions, versus a more holistic view of the policymaking process where evidence is one of many factors, as discussed in recent work (Fafard and Hoffman 2018 ; O’Neill et al. 2019 ; Ridde and Yaméogo 2018 ).

Applied public health research is ideally positioned to embrace a critical perspective on the research-practice-policy interface. Several recent trends are promising in that regard. These include the following: substantive efforts to bridge public health and social science scholarship ( http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/50604.html ), growing success by Pillar 4 researchers (including applied public health) in CIHR’s open funding competitions ( http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/50488.html ), and the CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship initiative ( http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/50612.html ), which could facilitate the placement of doctoral and post-doctoral academic researchers within the public health system and related (e.g., public, NGO) organizations.

Insight : Applied public health researchers are ideally positioned to embrace and model a sophisticated and interdisciplinary perspective on the research-practice-policy interface. To do so, opportunities for researchers (including trainees) to gain skills and experience to navigate the policy context are needed.

Against the backdrop of discourse about a weakening of public health infrastructure and fracture within the field (Guyon et al. 2017 ; Lucyk and McLaren 2017 ), we believe that there is value in working towards a unity of purpose (Talbot 2018 ). This commentary was prompted by a shared belief that through our experience with the Applied Public Health Chair Program, we have seen a glimpse of what is needed to achieve a population and public health community that is positioned to tackle societal imperatives, which includes an important role for applied public health research, spanning CIHR Pillars 3 and 4. Anchored in principles of sustainability, equity, and effectiveness, we assert a strong need for applied research infrastructure that privileges and supports: researcher autonomy, sustained funding to support foundations of a credible and internationally competitive research program, and opportunities for researchers (including trainees) to gain skills and experience to navigate the policy context. We welcome and invite further discussion and debate.

1 Under CIHR-IPPH’s mandate, population health research refers to “research into the complex biological, social, cultural, and environmental interactions that determine the health of individuals, communities, and global populations.”

2 Applied may be defined as follows: “put to practical use,” as opposed to being theoretical ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applied ).

3 For example: https://uwaterloo.ca/compass-system/ (Leatherdale); http://cart-grac.ubc.ca/ (Norman); http://www.healthsystemsglobal.org/ (Ridde).

The original version of this article was revised due to a retrospective Open Access order.

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Change history

The article ��Why public health matters today and tomorrow: the role of applied public health research,�� written by Lindsay McLaren et al., was originally published Online First without Open Access.

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10 Emerging Public Health Issues of 2023

November 8, 2023

View all blog posts under Articles

A young e-cigarette user exhales a cloud of smoke.

Following are 10 emerging public health issues that have grown to new levels or have experts concerned.

1. Public Health Authority

According to a 2021 report by the Network for Public Health Law, 15 states have proposed or passed laws that would undermine public health authority. This legislation comes in the wake of the controversies over mask requirements and lockdowns as COVID spread across the country. These laws would ban local and state governments from requiring masks, closing businesses or requiring quarantine, among other restrictions. The impact of these laws may be dire, affecting the following.

Community spread. Highly communicable diseases will spread more easily, causing widespread sickness and death.
Loss of expertise. Legislatures that take over public health responses may not have the understanding or knowledge to respond appropriately to a health threat.
Slow response time. Time is of the essence when it comes to public health threats. By removing the ability of agencies to act, a disease can gain a foothold in a population.
Reduced health equity. As illustrated during the pandemic, COVID disproportionately impacted communities of color. Preventing laws that would reduce disease spread will continue to impact these communities the hardest.

2. Public Health Workforce Shortage

The public health workforce is made up of two components: public health professionals who work for government agencies, health care nonprofits and research institutions; and doctors, nurses and other clinical providers. Both components have been impacted by worker shortages.

Public Health Employees

According to the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey conducted by public health think tank de Beaumont, 44% of state and local public health workers said they planned to retire in the next five years. The majority of respondents said their decision to leave public health was prompted by the backlash against public health initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is a growing shortage of clinical providers. Some 34% of nurses surveyed by health care staffing agency Incredible Health said they planned to leave nursing in 2022. More nurses are entering retirement age, and there aren’t enough nursing programs to train new nurses, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Similarly, the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034.

Shortages are a public health issue that makes it more difficult to operate disease prevention and other public health and safety programs. Provider shortages will impact access to and the quality of health care. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, 98 million Americans live in a designated Health Practitioner Shortage Area (HPSA).

3. Public Health Spending

The U.S. spends around $3.6 trillion annually on health care, but only about 3% of that is for public health, safety and disease prevention. Programs that promote wellness can prevent individuals from requiring more expensive medical intervention. The 2022 Build Back Better Act includes funding for local health departments, emergency response, expansion of laboratories for disease monitoring and testing and training for additional public health workers.

4. Health Equity

The disparities in health and well-being due to race, gender and socioeconomic factors has long been a stubborn challenge for public health experts. People who lack access to preventive health care and treatment for chronic and acute diseases suffer higher rates of disease, disability and death, and have less opportunity to live to their full potential. Public health initiatives at the local, state and federal levels share the goal of achieving health equity. Examples of health equity initiatives include:

Providing health information in different languages
Low-cost preventive health services
Mobile health screenings
Flexible appointment scheduling, or telehealth
Focus on wellness to prevent higher-cost medical care
Being mindful of cultural differences

5. E-Cigarettes

When manufacturers introduced e-cigarettes in 2006, the devices were initially marketed as a way to quit smoking. They quickly became a method of ingesting tobacco and other drugs, such as marijuana and fentanyl. The use of e-cigarettes became widespread among teens. The dangers of e-cigarettes are many, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They have caused young people to become addicted to tobacco. They facilitate the abuse of illicit substances, which can lead to overdoses. They also can cause lung damage. A nationwide campaign to combat e-cigarette use among children is one example of a successful public health intervention.

6. Climate Change

Drought. Floods. Violent weather. Debilitating heat. Wildfires. Climate change is a public health issue that has already caused death and disruption in many locations around the world. In the U.S., state and local governments can take several steps to combat the impact of climate change on their residents. For instance, some ways that governments can help keep people safe and healthy include establishing urban forest programs to help cool cities, being prepared to fight waterborne pathogens and understanding how air pollution increases cases of asthma.

7. The Environment

As with climate change, the environment has a significant impact on public health. In fact, environmental conditions are among the social determinants of health that can predict a person’s health and well-being. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers air pollution to be a significant cause of illness and death, and it mostly impacts low- and middle-income populations. But other environmental factors impact everyone. The presence of PFAS, a long-lasting plastic, is found in most people. It has been linked to cancer, high blood pressure, decreased fertility and increased cholesterol.

8. HIV/AIDS

Millions of people have died of HIV/AIDS, and nearly 40 million people around the world live with the disease. It continues to be endemic in many regions. While drug treatments are available, they are expensive, and many people lack access. There’s no cure and no vaccine. Despite global efforts, the disease continues to spread. Research into a vaccine is ongoing.

9. Rural Health

People living in rural areas face a number of public health challenges. They often live in provider-shortage areas and lack access to primary care doctors, specialists and hospitals. People in remote regions often have to drive hours to receive care, or to give birth. The opioid epidemic, while widespread throughout the country, has ravaged rural communities. Telehealth is one solution to the provider shortage, as it can help monitor patients with chronic illnesses and allow people to receive care at home.

10. Data Privacy

Data privacy may seem an unlikely public health issue. However, public health experts say data privacy is an essential human right. Many consumers may not be aware that when they use a mobile wellness app, their data can end up in the hands of companies that don’t follow data privacy laws. At the same time, public health data — when it has personal identifying information removed — can help track and fight diseases and identify food-borne illnesses, among other issues. How to use data to benefit patients, while also ensuring that health data is protected, will continue to be a public health challenge.

Public Health — The Challenge Awaits

Public health officials understand the challenges they face in keeping people safe and healthy. From the growing attacks on public health authority to making sure all people have access to essential health care, the work they do is tough but necessary.

The Master of Public Health online at the Keck School of Medicine of USC provides a modern approach to public health management. Learn more about the program to find out how USC prepares students for rewarding careers in health care.

Research Topics & Ideas: Healthcare

100+ Healthcare Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Healthcare-related research topics and ideas

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a healthcare-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. Here, we’ll explore a variety of healthcare-related research ideas and topic thought-starters across a range of healthcare fields, including allopathic and alternative medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, optometry, pharmacology and public health.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the healthcare domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic.

Overview: Healthcare Research Topics

Allopathic medicine
Alternative /complementary medicine
Veterinary medicine
Physical therapy/ rehab
Optometry and ophthalmology
Pharmacy and pharmacology
Public health
Examples of healthcare-related dissertations

Allopathic (Conventional) Medicine

The effectiveness of telemedicine in remote elderly patient care
The impact of stress on the immune system of cancer patients
The effects of a plant-based diet on chronic diseases such as diabetes
The use of AI in early cancer diagnosis and treatment
The role of the gut microbiome in mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety
The efficacy of mindfulness meditation in reducing chronic pain: A systematic review
The benefits and drawbacks of electronic health records in a developing country
The effects of environmental pollution on breast milk quality
The use of personalized medicine in treating genetic disorders
The impact of social determinants of health on chronic diseases in Asia
The role of high-intensity interval training in improving cardiovascular health
The efficacy of using probiotics for gut health in pregnant women
The impact of poor sleep on the treatment of chronic illnesses
The role of inflammation in the development of chronic diseases such as lupus
The effectiveness of physiotherapy in pain control post-surgery

Topics & Ideas: Alternative Medicine

The benefits of herbal medicine in treating young asthma patients
The use of acupuncture in treating infertility in women over 40 years of age
The effectiveness of homoeopathy in treating mental health disorders: A systematic review
The role of aromatherapy in reducing stress and anxiety post-surgery
The impact of mindfulness meditation on reducing high blood pressure
The use of chiropractic therapy in treating back pain of pregnant women
The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine such as Shun-Qi-Tong-Xie (SQTX) in treating digestive disorders in China
The impact of yoga on physical and mental health in adolescents
The benefits of hydrotherapy in treating musculoskeletal disorders such as tendinitis
The role of Reiki in promoting healing and relaxation post birth
The effectiveness of naturopathy in treating skin conditions such as eczema
The use of deep tissue massage therapy in reducing chronic pain in amputees
The impact of tai chi on the treatment of anxiety and depression
The benefits of reflexology in treating stress, anxiety and chronic fatigue
The role of acupuncture in the prophylactic management of headaches and migraines

Topics & Ideas: Dentistry

The impact of sugar consumption on the oral health of infants
The use of digital dentistry in improving patient care: A systematic review
The efficacy of orthodontic treatments in correcting bite problems in adults
The role of dental hygiene in preventing gum disease in patients with dental bridges
The impact of smoking on oral health and tobacco cessation support from UK dentists
The benefits of dental implants in restoring missing teeth in adolescents
The use of lasers in dental procedures such as root canals
The efficacy of root canal treatment using high-frequency electric pulses in saving infected teeth
The role of fluoride in promoting remineralization and slowing down demineralization
The impact of stress-induced reflux on oral health
The benefits of dental crowns in restoring damaged teeth in elderly patients
The use of sedation dentistry in managing dental anxiety in children
The efficacy of teeth whitening treatments in improving dental aesthetics in patients with braces
The role of orthodontic appliances in improving well-being
The impact of periodontal disease on overall health and chronic illnesses

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Tops & Ideas: Veterinary Medicine

The impact of nutrition on broiler chicken production
The role of vaccines in disease prevention in horses
The importance of parasite control in animal health in piggeries
The impact of animal behaviour on welfare in the dairy industry
The effects of environmental pollution on the health of cattle
The role of veterinary technology such as MRI in animal care
The importance of pain management in post-surgery health outcomes
The impact of genetics on animal health and disease in layer chickens
The effectiveness of alternative therapies in veterinary medicine: A systematic review
The role of veterinary medicine in public health: A case study of the COVID-19 pandemic
The impact of climate change on animal health and infectious diseases in animals
The importance of animal welfare in veterinary medicine and sustainable agriculture
The effects of the human-animal bond on canine health
The role of veterinary medicine in conservation efforts: A case study of Rhinoceros poaching in Africa
The impact of veterinary research of new vaccines on animal health

Topics & Ideas: Physical Therapy/Rehab

The efficacy of aquatic therapy in improving joint mobility and strength in polio patients
The impact of telerehabilitation on patient outcomes in Germany
The effect of kinesiotaping on reducing knee pain and improving function in individuals with chronic pain
A comparison of manual therapy and yoga exercise therapy in the management of low back pain
The use of wearable technology in physical rehabilitation and the impact on patient adherence to a rehabilitation plan
The impact of mindfulness-based interventions in physical therapy in adolescents
The effects of resistance training on individuals with Parkinson’s disease
The role of hydrotherapy in the management of fibromyalgia
The impact of cognitive-behavioural therapy in physical rehabilitation for individuals with chronic pain
The use of virtual reality in physical rehabilitation of sports injuries
The effects of electrical stimulation on muscle function and strength in athletes
The role of physical therapy in the management of stroke recovery: A systematic review
The impact of pilates on mental health in individuals with depression
The use of thermal modalities in physical therapy and its effectiveness in reducing pain and inflammation
The effect of strength training on balance and gait in elderly patients

Topics & Ideas: Optometry & Opthalmology

The impact of screen time on the vision and ocular health of children under the age of 5
The effects of blue light exposure from digital devices on ocular health
The role of dietary interventions, such as the intake of whole grains, in the management of age-related macular degeneration
The use of telemedicine in optometry and ophthalmology in the UK
The impact of myopia control interventions on African American children’s vision
The use of contact lenses in the management of dry eye syndrome: different treatment options
The effects of visual rehabilitation in individuals with traumatic brain injury
The role of low vision rehabilitation in individuals with age-related vision loss: challenges and solutions
The impact of environmental air pollution on ocular health
The effectiveness of orthokeratology in myopia control compared to contact lenses
The role of dietary supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, in ocular health
The effects of ultraviolet radiation exposure from tanning beds on ocular health
The impact of computer vision syndrome on long-term visual function
The use of novel diagnostic tools in optometry and ophthalmology in developing countries
The effects of virtual reality on visual perception and ocular health: an examination of dry eye syndrome and neurologic symptoms

Topics & Ideas: Pharmacy & Pharmacology

The impact of medication adherence on patient outcomes in cystic fibrosis
The use of personalized medicine in the management of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease
The effects of pharmacogenomics on drug response and toxicity in cancer patients
The role of pharmacists in the management of chronic pain in primary care
The impact of drug-drug interactions on patient mental health outcomes
The use of telepharmacy in healthcare: Present status and future potential
The effects of herbal and dietary supplements on drug efficacy and toxicity
The role of pharmacists in the management of type 1 diabetes
The impact of medication errors on patient outcomes and satisfaction
The use of technology in medication management in the USA
The effects of smoking on drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics: A case study of clozapine
Leveraging the role of pharmacists in preventing and managing opioid use disorder
The impact of the opioid epidemic on public health in a developing country
The use of biosimilars in the management of the skin condition psoriasis
The effects of the Affordable Care Act on medication utilization and patient outcomes in African Americans

Topics & Ideas: Public Health

The impact of the built environment and urbanisation on physical activity and obesity
The effects of food insecurity on health outcomes in Zimbabwe
The role of community-based participatory research in addressing health disparities
The impact of social determinants of health, such as racism, on population health
The effects of heat waves on public health
The role of telehealth in addressing healthcare access and equity in South America
The impact of gun violence on public health in South Africa
The effects of chlorofluorocarbons air pollution on respiratory health
The role of public health interventions in reducing health disparities in the USA
The impact of the United States Affordable Care Act on access to healthcare and health outcomes
The effects of water insecurity on health outcomes in the Middle East
The role of community health workers in addressing healthcare access and equity in low-income countries
The impact of mass incarceration on public health and behavioural health of a community
The effects of floods on public health and healthcare systems
The role of social media in public health communication and behaviour change in adolescents

Examples: Healthcare Dissertation & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a healthcare-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various healthcare-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

Improving Follow-Up Care for Homeless Populations in North County San Diego (Sanchez, 2021)
On the Incentives of Medicare’s Hospital Reimbursement and an Examination of Exchangeability (Elzinga, 2016)
Managing the healthcare crisis: the career narratives of nurses (Krueger, 2021)
Methods for preventing central line-associated bloodstream infection in pediatric haematology-oncology patients: A systematic literature review (Balkan, 2020)
Farms in Healthcare: Enhancing Knowledge, Sharing, and Collaboration (Garramone, 2019)
When machine learning meets healthcare: towards knowledge incorporation in multimodal healthcare analytics (Yuan, 2020)
Integrated behavioural healthcare: The future of rural mental health (Fox, 2019)
Healthcare service use patterns among autistic adults: A systematic review with narrative synthesis (Gilmore, 2021)
Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Combatting Burnout and Compassionate Fatigue among Mental Health Caregivers (Lundquist, 2022)
Transgender and gender-diverse people’s perceptions of gender-inclusive healthcare access and associated hope for the future (Wille, 2021)
Efficient Neural Network Synthesis and Its Application in Smart Healthcare (Hassantabar, 2022)
The Experience of Female Veterans and Health-Seeking Behaviors (Switzer, 2022)
Machine learning applications towards risk prediction and cost forecasting in healthcare (Singh, 2022)
Does Variation in the Nursing Home Inspection Process Explain Disparity in Regulatory Outcomes? (Fox, 2020)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Need more help?

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your healthcare dissertation or thesis, check out Topic Kickstarter service below.

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

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Topic Kickstarter: Research topics in education

15 Comments

I need topics that will match the Msc program am running in healthcare research please

Hello Mabel,

I can help you with a good topic, kindly provide your email let’s have a good discussion on this.

Can you provide some research topics and ideas on Immunology?

Thank you to create new knowledge on research problem verse research topic

Help on problem statement on teen pregnancy

This post might be useful: https://gradcoach.com/research-problem-statement/

can you provide me with a research topic on healthcare related topics to a qqi level 5 student

Please can someone help me with research topics in public health ?

Hello I have requirement of Health related latest research issue/topics for my social media speeches. If possible pls share health issues , diagnosis, treatment.

I would like a topic thought around first-line support for Gender-Based Violence for survivors or one related to prevention of Gender-Based Violence

Please can I be helped with a master’s research topic in either chemical pathology or hematology or immunology? thanks

Can u please provide me with a research topic on occupational health and safety at the health sector

Good day kindly help provide me with Ph.D. Public health topics on Reproductive and Maternal Health, interventional studies on Health Education

may you assist me with a good easy healthcare administration study topic

May you assist me in finding a research topic on nutrition,physical activity and obesity. On the impact on children

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Hot Topics in Public Health — A Symposium Series

Understanding the impacts of wisconsin’s birth tax: a reproductive justice approach, held thursday, feb. 8, 5:30-7 p.m. on zoom webinar.

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This event offered live captioning and American Sign Language interpretation.

Presenter: Tiffany Green, PhD , associate professor, Departments of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology
Moderator: Jessica Dalby, MD , associate professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health

Birth Cost Recovery, also known as the ‘Birth Tax’ is a Wisconsin policy which holds unmarried, non-custodial fathers liable for Medicaid/BadgerCare childbirth costs. Supporters of this policy assert that the Birth Tax promotes paternal responsibility. However, opponents maintain that the Birth Tax causes financial and relationship strain and deters pregnant people from accessing prenatal care — leading to the high rates of poor reproductive health outcomes, particularly among the Black families disproportionately affected by this policy.

Historically Dane and Milwaukee Counties were the top Birth Tax collectors in Wisconsin. However, as of 2024, Dane and Milwaukee Counties have discontinued this policy, providing an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate its impacts. In this presentation, Dr. Green will discuss what we know thus far about the impacts of the Birth Tax on outcomes, and its intersections with reproductive justice. The presentation will emphasize an ongoing community-engaged, mixed-methods project that centers the voices of low-income Black parents who likely experience this policy in complex and unique ways.

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Tiffany Green, PhD, is a nationally recognized economist, population health scientist, and science communicator whose mission is to reduce and eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in in reproductive health. She is currently an associate professor of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Green earned her PhD in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA in economics from Florida A&M University. Her primary research agenda is motivated by a persistent unsolved puzzle: how and why Black people with the capacity for pregnancy experience the worst reproductive health access and outcomes of any racial/ethnic group—and what innovative solutions might ameliorate these persistent inequities. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Maternal Mortality Review Team and proudly served as inaugural Co-Chair of the Black Maternal & Child Health Alliance of Dane County (2020-2023) — a coalition committed to ensuring that Black birthing people and babies are free to reach their highest potential.

Jess Dalby, DM, is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin. Her current clinical practice is at the Wingra Family Medical Center, part of the Access Community Health Center network, where she has been caring for multigenerational families for the past 15 years. She earned her medical degree in 2008 from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and completed a family medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2011. In 2017, she became the medical consultant for sexual and reproductive health with the Milwaukee Health Department. Her other teaching and academic interests include reproductive health, through which she has developed curriculum, training programs and research projects on miscarriage management, HPV screening and subcutaneous depo for self-administration.

Past Symposia

Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023: Misinformation/Disinformation in Public Health

Thursday, March 30, 2023: Thirty Years of Tobacco Control Research and Intervention: Looking Forward, Looking Back

Thursday, Oct. 27, 2023: Race, Racism and COVID-19 in Wisconsin

April 21, 2022: A Conversation on Disability Rights

Oct. 6, 2021: Hot Topics in Public Health: Immigrant Health: An Insider’s View

April 28, 2021: Hot Topics in Public Health: Climate Change as a Public Health Emergency

October 26, 2020: Hot Topics in Public Health: Prevention of Gun Violence as a Public Health Strategy

January 27, 2021: Hot Topics in Public Health: The Coronavirus Pandemic at One Year

“ A Year of COVID-19: How the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Responded to the Challenge ” (article)

January 29, 2020: Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Real Time

“Here is what you need to know about novel coronavirus, according to a panel of UW–Madison experts” (article)

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Next Hot Topics Webinar: AI in Public Health Today: The Basics

You can’t throw a rock without hitting a new application of artificial intelligence these days.

But just what is artificial intelligence, and how might it help (or hinder) our work to improve population health? This month’s Hot Topics in Practice will provide some basics to help you think about this, as well as some hands-on examples with ChatGPT.

The March session of Hot Topics in Practice will discuss generative artificial intelligence (AI). This is a broad label describing any type of artificial intelligence capable of producing text, images, videos, or audio clips, often in response to prompts. This session explores how AI might enhance the work to improve population health as well as how it may be a threat. The presenter will discuss ChatGPT and how it is used for tasks in addition to assessing its relevance to addressing challenges in population health.

In this hour-long webinar, Abraham Flaxman, PhD, an Associate Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, will focus on generative artificial intelligence and the role it plays in enhancing or hindering the work to improve population health. He will include a live demonstration with tools such as ChatGPT.

AI in Public Health Today: The Basics

Date: March 26, 2024, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (Pacific)

Intended Audiences

Local, state, and tribal public health practitioners

Abraham D. Flaxman, Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Washington

About Hot Topics in Practice

Hot Topics in Practice is a monthly webinar forum to discuss issues affecting public health practice.

Up to 1 CPH recertification credit may be earned by viewing this webinar. Visit the National Board of Public Health Examiners to learn more.

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Researchers analyze prevalence, impact of ethical or religious barriers to providing medical aid in dying

by CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Recently published research led by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus examined the prevalence—and impact—of physicians' ethical or religious barriers to their involvement in medical aid in dying (MAiD), a multi-step process where a physician provides a terminally ill adult with decision-making capacity with a lethal dose of medication to end their life.

The research article , " Conscience-Based Barriers to Medical Aid in Dying: A Survey of Colorado Physicians ," was published this May in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. It shows that 26% of physician survey respondents reported large ethical and/or religious barriers to their involvement in MAiD.

Despite these barriers, the research suggests these conscience-based barriers do not appear to affect these physicians ' willingness to discuss medical aid in dying with their patients. However, they are much less likely to have any direct participation in it—being significantly less likely to serve as a consulting or attending physician—compared to physicians without these barriers.

Informing public policy

As legislators and health leaders across the nation continue to debate policies related to medical aid in dying, research like this is vital to making informed decisions.

"Medical aid in dying is under consideration in a number of states, and it comes up every legislative session. You cannot make policy around things that are not well understood, and so it was critical to gather data to better understand what's going on," says Mika Hamer, Ph.D., MPH, the first author on the paper and a post-doctoral research fellow with the CU Center for Bioethics and Humanities.

"It is important to look at the actual behaviors of physicians. This research offers essentially the first look into what is happening on the ground in a previously hidden and difficult-to-study population."

For Hillary Lum, MD, Ph.D., a co-author of the paper and associate professor in the CU Division of Geriatric Medicine, getting involved in this research was important to her as a geriatrician and palliative medicine physician, given that questions about MAiD may arise when caring for older adults with serious illnesses.

"Medical aid-in-dying was legalized in 2016 in Colorado, but physician experiences providing care for patients seeking MAiD was under-studied," Lum says.

A reason for the lack of data is because there are extensive protections in place for physician and patient privacy. As a result, the vast majority of data that exists are from qualitative studies or surveys of the general physician population.

"There is a long-standing debate around MAiD—the legality, the ethical appropriateness, the morality—and people have extremely strong opinions about it. But when we let those really strong opinions drive policy, rather than empirical data , we run the risk of implementing misguided policy that is more amenable to the cultural sentiment or social context at the time," Hamer says.

To gather data about this important issue, researchers used anonymized, aggregate information on the 554 patients known to have received a MAiD prescription in Colorado from 2017 to 2020 and then identified the clinical conditions most prominent in this patient population.

The research team then determined which physicians in Colorado were providing care to patients likely to qualify for MAiD based on their clinical conditions and sent them an anonymous survey regarding their willingness to provide MAiD and actual prior participation in MAiD. Ultimately, 300 physicians responded.

Since then, researchers have published several papers about the study, including: a scientific report about the research methodology; an analysis of physician's attitudes and experiences ; an examination of their perspectives on disclosure, presence, and eligibility ; and the use and influence of medical aid in dying service on physician experiences .

"We felt there was an opportunity to look at this untapped aspect of the survey research. We had a hunch that there was something about ethical or religious barriers that may be different than other types of barriers physicians faced, like lack of time or fear of stigma," Hamer says.

"We wanted to understand what these physicians have actually done when faced with these decisions, and we had a unique opportunity to measure that and lend some empirical data into what is a very contentious topic—but one that's really quite understudied as far as hard data goes," she adds.

Lum agrees with Hamer, saying, "In the absence of data, it's easy to make assumptions—either that there are many physicians who have a conscientious objection to MAiD, or that there are few."

"Thus, this study was important to actually measure the percentage of physicians who have a religious or ethical reason for not participating in MAiD activities," Lum adds.

What the research shows

Out of the 300 survey respondents, 26% of physicians likely to care for MAiD-eligible patients in Colorado reported large ethical and/or religious barriers to participating in MAiD activities.

The survey also shows physicians with a longer time in practice and those identifying as non-white were more likely to report these conscience-based barriers.

Hamer said she was surprised that the survey data shows the physicians with these conscience-based barriers are still willing to participate in some aspects of the MAiD process. Specifically, when comparing physicians with and without these barriers, there was no difference in ancillary participation, meaning having discussions about MAiD or referring patients to other providers.

However, there were significant differences regarding direct participation in MAiD. To be eligible for MAiD, a patient must have decision-making capacity and a prognosis of less than six months to live. This prognosis must be independently verified by two physicians—an attending and consulting physician.

The survey found that only 5% of physicians with conscience-based barriers had served as a MAiD consultant, as compared to 31% of physicians without conscience-based barriers. When it came to serving as a MAiD attending, no physicians with conscience-based barriers had served in this role compared to 21% of physicians without these barriers.

"Participation looks different for different people. As far as consulting or attending, which are much more active roles that may involve writing prescriptions or doing evaluations—that's where we start to see those barriers really show up in terms of changes in behavior," Hamer says.

Lum says, "I think this emphasizes the importance of the relationship between physicians and patients. Whether a physician is willing to discuss, refer, serve as a consulting physician, or serve as a MAID attending physician is likely to vary. And there may be different reasons and situations related to the individual patient."

Both Hamer and Lum noted that this study was limited in its sample size, highlighting the need for further research. With regard to conscience-based barriers, Hamer says it is important to distinguish that these "are not necessarily barriers to be overcome in the traditional sense of barriers."

"We really see this as a space where physicians need accommodation—not intervention to help change their mind around this barrier," Hamer says. "It calls for continued protection of physician rights to conscientiously object or not participate in a service to which they have deeply held, conflicting beliefs."

There is also a need to better understand what support systems and processes need to be in place in clinics or hospitals to help support those physicians who have religious or ethical barriers. For instance, perhaps a formal referral process could be created so that physicians with these barriers can be involved in the beginning stages of MAiD, but when it comes to the more active roles, there is an established team the patient can be referred to.

"We must have protections in place and processes to support these physicians while ensuring patients are able to get the care they desire," Hamer says. "It is something that needs to be considered especially as the legality of MAiD potentially expands. We need a balance between protecting physicians' rights and preserving patient access."

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Antibodies may aid effort to fight influenza B

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have isolated human monoclonal antibodies against influenza B, a significant public health threat that disproportionately affects children, the elderly and other immunocompromised individuals.

Seasonal flu vaccines cover influenza B and the more common influenza A but do not stimulate the broadest possible range of immune responses against both viruses. In addition, people whose immune systems have been weakened by age or illness may not respond effectively to the flu shot.

Small-molecule drugs that block neuraminidase, a major surface glycoprotein of the influenza virus, can help treat early infection, but they provide limited benefit when the infection is more severe, and they are generally less effective in treating influenza B infections. Thus, another way to combat this virus is needed.

Reporting in the journal Immunity , the VUMC researchers describe how, from the bone marrow of an individual previously vaccinated against influenza, they isolated two groups of monoclonal antibodies that bound to distinct parts of the neuraminidase glycoprotein on the surface of influenza B.

One of the antibodies, FluB-400, broadly inhibited virus replication in laboratory cultures of human respiratory epithelial cells. It also protected against influenza B in animal models when given by injection or through the nostrils.

Intranasal antibody administration may be more effective and have fewer systemic side effects than more typical routes -- intravenous infusion or intramuscular injection -- in part because intranasal antibodies may "trap" the virus in the nasal mucus, thereby preventing infection of the underlying epithelial surface, the researchers suggested.

These findings support the development of FluB-400 for the prevention and treatment of influenza B and will help guide efforts to develop a universal influenza vaccine, they said.

"Antibodies increasingly have become an interesting medical tool to prevent or treat viral infections," said the paper's corresponding author, James Crowe Jr., MD. "We set out to find antibodies for the type B influenza virus, which continues to be a medical problem, and we were happy to find such especially powerful molecules in our search."

Crowe, who holds the Ann Scott Carell Chair, is University Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, which has isolated monoclonal antibodies against a host of viral infections, including COVID-19.

The paper's first author, Rachael Wolters, DVM, PhD, is a former graduate student in the Crowe lab. Other VUMC co-authors are Elaine Chen, PhD, Ty Sornberger, Luke Myers, Laura Handal, Taylor Engdahl, Nurgen Kose, Lauren Williamson, PhD, Buddy Creech, MD, and Katherine Gibson-Corley, DVM, PhD.

This study was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants T32AI112541, K01OD036063 and U01AI150739, NIH-HHS contracts 75N93019C00074 and 75N93019C00073, and the Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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Influenza pandemic
Public health
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Global spread of H5N1

Story Source:

Materials provided by Vanderbilt University Medical Center . Original written by Bill Snyder. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

Rachael M. Wolters, James A. Ferguson, Ivette A. Nuñez, Elaine E. Chen, Ty Sornberger, Luke Myers, Svearike Oeverdieck, Sai Sundar Rajan Raghavan, Chandrahaas Kona, Laura S. Handal, Trevor E. Esilu, Edgar Davidson, Benjamin J. Doranz, Taylor B. Engdahl, Nurgun Kose, Lauren E. Williamson, C. Buddy Creech, Katherine N. Gibson-Corley, Andrew B. Ward, James E. Crowe. Isolation of human antibodies against influenza B neuraminidase and mechanisms of protection at the airway interface . Immunity , 2024; DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.05.002

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Bridging Policy and Research for Suicide Prevention in the Americas: A Joint PAHO/NIMH Symposium on Suicide Prevention

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are organizing a two-day symposium on suicide prevention , a key priority of the Americas' public health agenda. The symposium will provide an opportunity for countries in the Region and relevant actors to discuss advances and gaps in suicide research, evidence-based interventions, and how to strengthen links between research and policy for suicide prevention.

The symposium will include panel discussions and plenary sessions led by international experts in the fields of mental health and suicide prevention. It will be live-streamed with simultaneous translation in English and Spanish .

To discuss the current state of knowledge on suicide risk and prevention, evidence-based prevention strategies, and optimal service delivery approaches;
To share national experiences on implementing evidence-based suicide prevention strategies;
To foster multisectoral collaboration between governments, academic institutions, and civil society to promote strategies to prevent self-harm and suicide, and
To discuss suicide prevention priorities for the Region.

Registration

No registration is required to watch the live stream .

For questions, please email Vidya Vedham, Ph.D.

More information

NIMH’s Center for Global Mental Health Research (CGMHR) supports mental health research in low-resource settings in order to accelerate and enrich scientific advancements while helping to reduce mental health disparities globally and domestically. Guided by NIMH’s suicide prevention research priorities, the CGMHR is expanding investment in global suicide prevention research, as noted in the recently launched Suicide Prevention Program: Suicide Prevention Across the Lifespan in Low-and Middle-Income Countries.
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This study was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants T32AI112541, K01OD036063 and U01AI150739, NIH-HHS contracts 75N93019C00074 and 75N93019C00073, and the Collaborative ...
Tips for protecting your mental health this summer
When possible, avoid heat-trapping concrete and look for shady, natural environments. Stay social. It's possible that some of the mood decline for people who struggle with summer depression comes from socially isolating to avoid the heat, says Kelly Rohan, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the University of Vermont who studies seasonal ...
Cause of common type of heart failure may be ...
Funding: The project was funded by the National Institutes of Health grants (P01-HL141084, R01-HL142282, and R35-HL144998); the American Heart Association Career Development Award 23CDA1051603; the Stanford Diabetes Research Center grant P30DK116074, and the Minciencias - Fulbright Colombia Scholarship. Resources. Read the paper
New study points to possible link between tattoos and lymphoma, but
A Swedish study has found a potential link between tattoos and a type of cancer called malignant lymphoma, but it ultimately calls for more research on the topic, and cancer experts say the ...
Bridging Policy and Research for Suicide Prevention in the ...
Overview. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are organizing a two-day symposium on suicide prevention , a key priority of the Americas' public health agenda.The symposium will provide an opportunity for countries in the Region and relevant actors to discuss advances and gaps in suicide research, evidence-based interventions, and how ...