Staying Informed

Why adopt a new strategy for staying informed?

Professional responsibility	The Public Health Code of Ethics suggests that public health workers should seek the information needed to implement effective policies and programs that protect and promote health.
Identify experts in the field	Watching the news in public health and knowing who publishes on topics of interest can help you identify experts in other agencies, academia, and industry.
Career development & advancement	You want to be aware of the latest information, so you can answer, “Yes!” when a colleague asks you if you heard about an important paper in a recent journal. Being informed about developments in public health is important at every level of your career.
Economic forces	It may not be economically feasible for you to go to regional or national meetings to keep informed. In difficult budget times, you may be unable to travel to as many meetings or attend as many continuing education offerings.
Have information as soon as it's available	A working strategy makes it possible to have information as soon as it’s available - no waiting for a subscription to print materials or interoffice routing.
Provide cutting-edge services	Being on top of the news permits you to prepare responses or proposals to meet information or program needs raised by current issues. SARS and "mad cow disease" are just two recent examples.