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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Dorothy A. Bazos, PhD, Health Science Specialist, Veterans Administration, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT 05009-0001, 802-295-9363 ext. 6943, dorothy.bazos@dartmouth.edu
Organizations and communities that aim to improve the health of the populations they serve are under increasing pressure to enhance the quality of their work within constrained or decreasing budgets. While in theory local measures of population health should provide the basic building block for this work, measuring the determinants of health for a regional or community population is technically, politically and economically challenging.
During the past three years NH has made progress toward the development of a community level data system. Through a pilot project led by academics at Dartmouth Medical School and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Alliance (a network of community based health care systems), a community assessment survey instrument was developed, pilot tested for reliability and validity, and determined to be useful for measuring community health. Since it was not financially feasible to administer this survey broadly, the Dartmouth team used the survey as a template to format secondary data that are routinely collected and aggregated by the State to develop Regional Health Profiles. After piloting the Profiles in communities, Dartmouth worked with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to develop and disseminate these Profiles statewide via the State website.
Currently, DHHS, the NH Institute of Health Policy and Practice at UNH, and NH communities are seeking funding for the development of a flexible, regional, web-based query system that would enhance the Regional Profile model. This undertaking requires balancing the statistical realities of small numbers, political concerns regarding confidentiality, and user need for data that describe local conditions.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.