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Arden Handler, DrPH, Michele Issel, PhD and Bernard Turnock, MD, MPH

The authors are with the School of Public Health, University of Illinois, Chicago.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Arden Handler, DrPH, University of Illinois School of Public Health, 1603 W Taylor, Chicago, IL 60612 (e-mail: handler{at}uic.edu).

Objectives. This article describes a unifying conceptual framework for the public health system as a way to facilitate the measurement of public health system performance.

Methods. A conceptual framework for the public health system was developed on the basis of the work of Donabedian and a conceptual model previously developed by Bernard Turnock and Arden Handler.

Results. The conceptual framework consists of 5 components that can be considered in relationship to each other: macro context, mission, structural capacity, processes, and outcomes. Although the availability of measures for each of these components varies, the framework can be used to examine the performance of public health systems as well as that of agencies and programs.

Conclusions. A conceptual framework that explicates the relationships among the various components of the public health system is an essential step toward providing a science base for the study of public health system performance.

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