Since health care is a finite resource, health care administrators and professionals often conduct thorough reviews and analyze resources on a regular basis to make sure that the beneficiaries of health care services are not being under served. Some organizations choose to use a systematic, step-by-step approach for conducting this type of analysis called a health needs assessment. This formal, structured review process allows health care professionals and leaders better understand the unmet needs of a population.
Function
According to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence from the UK's National Health Service, a health needs assessment (HNA) is a systematic method for reviewing the health needs and priorities for a particular segment of the population. The HNA can be conducted by an individual or groups working in a health care organization, for the government, or in the community to gain an understanding of the major and minor health concerns of certain groups.
Features
The health needs assessment is performed in a step-by-step manner and every step is documented for further review and analysis. The first step involves identifying the population that needs to be assessed and to define clear objectives for improving the selected population's health status. The second phase involves identification of health priorities. The third step involves assessment of the health priorities for action. The fourth step involves action planning to make appropriate changes. The final step involves conducting a project review and making sure that all project goals have been achieved.
Effects
According to Andrew Stevens, professor of public health and Stephen Gillam, director or primary care programs at the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of Birmingham, London, the results of the health needs assessment can be used to reallocate resources to those who have an unmet need. The reallocation of resources can help those who may be receiving ineffective health care services, those who are receiving inappropriate health care, and those who are not yet receiving any type of health care but have an unmet need.
Methods
According to John Wright, author of "Health Needs Assessment in Practice," several quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to conduct the comprehensive review for the health needs assessment. Methods include patient interviews, surveys, demographic profiling, review of mortality rates and charting of morbidity rates. A project team may be formed for the health needs assessment so that the responsibilities of data collection, management and analysis can be delegated to different team members. In some cases, representatives from certain agencies may be asked to join the team so that they can provide more data and objective information for the study.
Considerations
A health needs assessment is typically conducted by an organization that controls most of the health care resources for a particular part of the population. It is conducted often in the United Kingdom because the UK operates under a National Health Service (NHS) where all residents receive health care from the government. In the United States, each resident is responsible for finding his own healthcare provider. In this case, a health needs assessment may be conducted by individual health insurance companies for their clients and prospective customers.
Examples of other organizations that conduct a health needs assessment include the Orange County Health Needs Assessment (OCHNA), a non-profit organization that serves the residents of Orange County, California, and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, which creates a Hispanic Health Needs Assessment to document and review the health needs of Hispanic communities around the United States.
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