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Strategies in Health Needs Assessment

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires nonprofit hospitals to conduct community health needs assessments every three years, assess the effectiveness of efforts to meet those needs and provide public access to the findings. Hospitals may design their own processes, and they must include public health officials. The American Hospital Association has tools that can guide your strategies in formulating a health needs assessment.

  1. Map Out Your Process

    • The Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI), in collaboration with the Health Research and Educational Trust and the American Hospital Association, recommends six steps for a strategic approach. The steps include setting up an infrastructure, framing the purpose and scope, collecting and analyzing data, prioritizing, reporting results and creating plans for action and monitoring. Many of the steps in the process overlap or occur simultaneously.

    Infrastructure, Purpose and Scope

    • Each organization defines an infrastructure that fits the skill sets and resources within the organization. The infrastructure should include establishing the budget, selecting an advisory committee and defining roles and goals for the group.

    Identify Sources of Available Data

    • Many public sources of data, such as the census, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state hospital associations, and state and local health departments, can provide data on population trends, causes of death and prevalence of diseases for specific geographic areas. Data sources can also include local physicians and community leaders who can provide important qualitative information through interviews or focus groups.

    Prioritize Short-Term and Long-Term Issues

    • With finite resources of people and capital, the prioritization process can benefit from the involvement of community partners. When prioritizing, tie the process into defined values and criteria, limit the number of priorities and define a time frame for long- and short-term targets.

    Documenting and Reporting Results

    • Decide on key messages, prepare a written report and publish it on the Web and on paper. A communication strategy should include a media-friendly public announcement of the findings and the plan to address the identified needs. The communication plan should also include publicity about the project in progress and announcement of achievements.

    Planning for Action and Monitoring Progress

    • The action plan should include goal-setting, definition of objectives, creation of the strategy, a time line for implementation, and criteria for measuring results. An evidence-based process should result in a more effective plan.

    Health Needs Assessment Examples

    • Many hospitals, such as Beverly Hospital in Beverly, Mass., and Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., have completed formal health needs assessments that can provide insights and ideas for your health needs assessment strategy.

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