De Nederlandse publieke gezondheidszorg: 10 kerntaken en een nieuwe definitie

Public health is an important part of any healthcare system. However, the boundaries of public health within the healthcare system are indistinct. The current challenges to public health and healthcare require a closer collaboration between public and curative healthcare. This article presents public health services to define public health within the healthcare system. In accordance with international examples, we describe those services in terms of core functions and a new definition. Public health aims at promoting health and reducing inequalities in health, through the organized efforts of society. Based on this aim, the aim and ten core functions for the Dutch health care system are defined. The core functions go beyond institutional and professional boundaries; they can be executed by various sectors within and outside the healthcare system. Core functions can be translated into competencies and learning objectives for professionals in the public and curative healthcare sector. The proposed aim and core functions of public health services in the Netherlands are supportive to the required collaboration between public health and healthcare, and to the development of the corresponding medical educational programmes.