Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114984

Brianna Gass, MPH, Family Health Outcomes Project, Community and Family Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, (415)502-0845, brianna@itsa.ucsf.edu, Judith A. Belfiori, MA, MPH, Family Health Outcomes Project, Dept of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, Jennifer Rienks, PhD(c), Family Health Outcomes Project, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118, and Geraldine Oliva, MD, MPH, Family Health Outcomes Project, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California St, Suite 365, San Francisco, CA 94118.

California Children's Services (CCS) is the State's program for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN). CCS serves the population of infants, children and youth under 21 years enrolled in the program who meet medical eligibility (specified serious medical conditions), financial and residential criteria. It provides case management and payment for approved services for eligible CSHCN and promotes family-centered, community-based, coordinated care for these children. Healthy People 2010 (Objective 16.23) calls for “systems of care” for CSHCN and their families. The Federal Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant supports this objective and requires States to conduct and report a 5-year MCH/CSHCN needs assessment and plan and submit annual performance reports. CCS contracted with the University of California Family Health Outcomes Project (FHOP) to identify indicators, gather data and lead a group of statewide stakeholders through a process of identifying the needs CCS will address as 5-year priorities. The CCS assessment differs from the broader MCH assessment as it focuses on service delivery structure and capacity to meet the needs of CSHCN rather than on health status needs. This presentation will 1) describe the assessment process used in California; 2) present the challenges encountered in conducting this type of assessment (e.g., different CCS and federal definitions of CSHCN, issues of addressing health/functional outcomes vs. care delivery outcomes, identification and measurement of indicators) and the methods/techniques used to address them; and 3) provide recommendations regarding CSHCN assessment and evidence-based policy development.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participants will be able to

• Describe California’s process and methods for assessing the needs of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN),
• Identify the differences in a systems of care assessment and health/functional outcomes assessment,
• Discuss the issues and challenges of conducting a CHSCN assessment

Keywords: Needs Assessment, Methodology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.