San Antonio, TEXAS – In a new commentary, assistant professors Melanie Stone and Jason Rosenfeld of The University of Texas at San Antonio are spotlighting precision public health, a concept that leverages technology to more efficiently transform the health and well-being of entire communities.
Originated over a decade ago, precision public health is defined as “a concept of using effective, fair, and reliable data and social enterprise to improve the health of all.”
The commentary, titled “Putting Precision Public Health into Action,” was published in the January/February issue of the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
“Through this commentary, we want to spur discussion around precision public health and draw attention to the innovative strategies and technologies available today to address a myriad of health care issues, including loneliness and chronic diseases,” said Melanie Stone, DrPH, MEd, co-director of Health Confianza, Assistant Professor of Family & Community Medicine and Director of Community Engaged Learning.
Stone and Rosenfeld point to Health Confianza, the five-year-old grant-fund initiative they co-direct, as an example of precision public health. Health Confianza is a multilevel health literacy program designed to address health literacy at the organizational, professional, and individual level.
“Health Confianza is leveraging data/AI tools, digital communications and strategic partnerships to measure, target and quickly respond to community’s needs with the goal of increasing the use of preventive health services, public trust in health systems and overall well-being,” said Jason Rosenfeld, DrPH, MPH, CHWI, co-director of Health Confianza, director of Global Health.
The ability to practice precision public health has taken on a new relevancy as health insurance and care costs continue to rise.
“With budget and workforce constraints, we need to prioritize the utilization of the tools and strategies that precision public health offers to address these ever-evolving health challenges,” Stone said.
The full commentary, titled “Putting Precision Public Health into Action,” is available for viewing for free until February 2026: https://journals.lww.com/jphmp/fulltext/2026/01000/putting_precision_public_health_into_action.4.aspx