What should the public health nurse use to measure the impact of interventions on population health?

• A. Outcome health status indicators
• B. Process measures
• C. Cost analysis
• D. Patient satisfaction

Answer: (A)

To assess how interventions change population health, you look at outcome health status indicators that reflect actual health changes in the community. These indicators capture shifts in mortality and disease incidence or prevalence, life expectancy, disability-adjusted life years, quality of life, and functional status at the population level. They directly measure the health effects produced by the intervention, showing the real impact on the community.

Process measures show what was done rather than the resulting health status, so they don’t reveal whether health improved. Cost analysis focuses on economic aspects, not health outcomes. Patient satisfaction reflects experiences and perceptions, which are important but do not quantify changes in population health. Therefore, outcome health status indicators best capture the true impact on population health.