How much of public health work “involves not technology but methodicalness and record keeping”?

Palko points us to this interesting point from Josh Marhsall: I [Marshall] am always struck by, amazed at how much of public health work involves not technology but methodicalness and record keeping. In purely technological terms much of it could have been done 100 years ago or, in outlines at least, 500 years ago. Phones …