Measuring the Health Impacts of Air Quality Regulations:Developing an Accountability Reserach Agenda

Abstract

Protecting public health involves taking actions (interventions) based on population-statistics or clinical disease patterns and tracking their consequences so that efforts can be redirected as indicated. Environmental management requires the same approach. Increasingly, as some indicators of environmental quality have improved for the United States, measures of progress have been sought and questions have been raised as to whether program goals have been met. Recent efforts have also been initiated by EPA and other health agencies to enhance surveillance of the environment and public health.