206104 Correlation between state public health system performance and certain state public health agency characteristics

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 8:30 AM

Richard Ingram, DrPH , College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Ariel Langevin, BA , College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Martha Riddell, DrPH , College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Michelyn W. Bhandari, DrPH, MPH, CPH , Department of Health Promotion and Administration, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY
This study examines the relationship between state public health system performance in assuring each of the 10 EPHS and total performance, as measured by Version 1.0 of the NPHPSP State Public Health System Performance Assessment instrument, and various state public health agency characteristics contained in the NPHPSP instrument and the 2005 ASTHO Salary and Agency Infrastructure survey. Data examined comes from the sixteen states that have state health agencies that have filled out both Version 1.0 of the NPHPSP state assessment instrument and the 2005 ASTHO survey. Bivariate analysis, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient, ANOVA and independent t- tests are used, when appropriate, to determine the relationship between performance and the variables examined. The results of our analysis suggest that certain state health agency characteristics, including those related to the characteristics of the chief health officer in the state, are positively associated with state public health system performance in assuring some of the 10 EPHS, as measured by the NPHPSP state instrument. Initial comparisons of the response to the ASTHO survey and the NPHPSP demographic data suggests that there may be much concordance between the two surveys. The primary weakness of our analysis is the relatively small number of agencies examined, and the cross sectional nature of the data examined. The associations between certain state health agency characteristics and performance in assuring certain EPHS suggests that agencies that have a deficiency in these EPHS may wish to examine the agency characteristics that are positively associated with these EPHS, and seek to effect change in performance through manipulating these characteristics.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the relationship between various state public health agency characteristics contained in demographic data from Version 1.0 of the NPHPSP state public health system performance assessment instrument and performance of the 10 EPHS 2. Describe the relationship between various state public health agency characteristics contained in demographic data from the 2005 ASTHO Salary and Infrastructure survey and performance of the 10 EPHS. 3. Describe ways that this information can be used to improve public health system performance.

Keywords: Performance Measurement, Public Health Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have presented at professional conferences, including APHA, on various aspects of Version 1.0 of the NPHPSP. I have almost completed my DrPH at the University of Kentucky, where Ihave worked closely with a research team dealing with the data presented. I have been a co author on three papers dealing with public health system performance that have either been published or that are in press. I have participated in and supervised the research thta I will present.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Translation of Health Administration Theory & Research to Health Administration Practice
See more of: Health Administration