People who are involved in preventing substance abuse at State or local levels generally know more about the communities in which they work than Federal employees. And many preventionists say that information about substance use from national studies is of limited value to those working in communities. They say that local data are needed to make informed judgments about substance abuse problems and prevention strategies. Before that question can be answered, we must examine the more fundamental question about the value of epidemiology in general.
Epidemiology is the study of health problems among specific populations.
Physicians examine the health of individuals by examining the physical body and its environs. Epidemiologists gather and examine information on the health of a large group of individuals within the broader environmental context. Epidemiology helps us learn more about risk factors and prevention strategies-information that will be useful for nearly everyone in the group examined. Information gained through epidemiology is often used to plan prevention and treatment services, as well as to shape funding decisions. You don't have to be an epidemiologist to use epidemiological data.