Health Consultations
What is a health consultation?
A health consultation is a report that provides advice on a public health issue related to human exposure to a hazardous substance. A health consultation is a response to an environmental public health question. It is not the same as a medical exam, community health study or public health assessment. A health consultation is a way for the Tennessee Department of Health Environmental Epidemiology Program, to respond to a need for health information about a hazardous substance and to make recommendations to protect the public’s health.
Click here for a printable version of this fact sheet.
A health consultation considers:
- how much (the concentration) of a hazardous substance is present at a site;
- whether people have been or might become exposed the hazardous substance;
- what exposure pathways such as breathing, touching, eating, or drinking, are present at the site or in the community;
- what harm (the toxicity) a hazardous substance might cause to people;
- whether living or working near a hazardous waste site might affect people’s health; and
- other dangers to people, such as unsafe buildings, dangerous objects, abandoned mine shafts or other physical hazards.
A health consultation often includes:
- background
- statement of Issues
- discussion
- child Health Considerations
- conclusions
- recommendations
- public health action plan
- references
- tables and figures
- maps and photos
- certification
Health consultations for download
A list of public health assessments and consultations completed by the Environmental Epidemiology Program can be viewed by clicking here.