Both clinical epidemiology and population health perspectives can define the role of healthcare in reducing health disparities

Objective — To compare and contrast clinical epidemiology and population health perspectives on the role of healthcare in reducing socioeconomic disparities in health.

Study Design and Setting — A review of concepts outlined in selected articles on population health and clinical epidemiology and a systematic literature search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of therapeutic interventions for cardiovascular disease that contained analysis of outcomes by socioeconomic status.

Results — Population health has a focus on health disparities, particularly disparities related to socioeconomic status, and many of its proponents have a pessimistic view of the degree to which healthcare can reduce these disparities. Clinical epidemiology has a focus on the production of valid evidence on the impact of healthcare interventions; however, RCTs rarely report the impact of interventions across socioeconomic strata. Both population health and clinical epidemiology share the view that efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness are all important in defining the impact of healthcare on health disparities.

Conclusion — Principles drawn from both population health and clinical epidemiology could be used to provide a clearer picture of the role that healthcare interventions can have on socioeconomic disparities in health and to identify implications for policy, research, and clinical practice.