Transcript Document

Health Needs Assessment Workshop
Sue Cavanagh
Keith Chadwick
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Workshop aims
1. To demonstrate the contribution that Health Needs Assessment
can make to meeting national inequality targets, to addressing
local priorities and to professional development
2. To provide participants with a clear understanding of the health
needs assessment process
3. To provide the opportunity to consider the practical application of
HNA for different types of populations
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Workshop structure
Part 1 Introduction
Part 2 The HNA 5 step process
Discussion
Part 3 Case study presentation
Part 4 Group activity
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Introduction
Health Needs Assessment is a systematic
review of the health issues facing a
population, leading to agreed priorities
and resource allocation that will improve
health and reduce inequalities.
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Why is the HDA involved
The HDA considers that the systematic process used by HNA
provides ideal opportunities to reduce inequalities by gathering
evidence from and about specific populations and for utilising an
evidence based approach to affect service changes and
improvements.
The HDA supports HNA by:
 Providing written guidance
 Providing a web site www.healthaction.nhs.uk
 Supporting regional HNA workshops, learning sets and
networks
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How does HNA support National Targets
The Government’s aim is to reduce health inequalities strategy by tackling
the wider determinants of health, such as poverty, poor educational
outcomes, worklessness, poor housing and the problems of
disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This approach is supported by a
national public service agreement (PSA)

by 2010 to reduce inequalities in health outcomes by 10% as measured
by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.
Tackling Health Inequalities A Programme for Action DH p7.
HNA provides a vital tool by being able to target populations
in most need of improved
support and services.
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HNA is compulsory
HNA has been linked to health commissioning since 1989, and in
2001Shifting the Balance gave specific responsibility for
conducting HNAs to Primary Care Trusts.
HNAs are recommended in various policy documents to inform
 Local Delivery Plans
 Community Strategies
 Specialised services commissioning
 Health and social care joint commissioning
 General Practice Strategic Development Plans
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Benefits
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strengthened community involvement in decisionmaking
improved team and partnership working
development of professional skills and experience.
improved communication with other agencies and
the public
better targeted services and use of resources
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Links to other assessment tools
Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA)
Health Equity Audit (HEqA)
Population
HNA
HEqA
Policy/ Project/ Programme
HIA
IIA
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The Five Steps of Health Needs Assessment
Aim
A systematic process focussed on a target population that
sets priorities for improving health and tackling local health
inequalities then plans effective change
Result
clear priorities for action
implementation of effective local action plans
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Target population
The four main population types
1.
2.
3.
4.
Geographic at different levels eg regional/PCT/neighbourhood wide
Settings for example schools, workplaces, prisons, hospitals.
Shared social experience homelessness, refugee, ethnicity, culture,
age, sexuality.
Specific health experience diseases, mental health, disabilities.
Example: older people living in a deprived neighbourhood
Ensure you have:

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Clearly defined the population.
Clarity around sub groups
Checked they match with National/local priorities on reducing health
inequalities?
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Setting Priorities
Criteria For Setting Priorities
Impact
Which conditions / factors have the most significant
impact on local health?
Severity
Size
Changeability
What can effectively be done about the significant
diseases / factors by those involved?
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Setting Priorities
Acceptability
What are the most acceptable changes required for
the maximum positive impact?
Resource feasibility
Are the resource implications of the proposed actions
feasible?
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Setting Priorities
Sources of needs information
• data about population characteristics and the severity and size of
the health issues i.e. who, when,where and what
• perceptions of the profiled population
• perceptions of people providing the services
• perceptions of managers of commissioning / provider
organisations
• relevant national, local or regional priorities
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The 5 steps
Step 1: Getting started
who are the population to be assessed?
why are we doing this assessment?
who should be involved, when and how?
what skills are required?
Step 2: Identifying health priorities of the population
what diseases or factors have a significant impact?
which of these are changeable?
who are most at risk from these?
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The 5 steps
Step 3: Choosing priorities for change
what significant diseases, conditions or factors affect this
priority?
what can be done to improve this priority?
what are the acceptable, feasible changes?
what resources are required?
who will gain from these changes?
Step 4 Action planning
what are we aiming to do?
who is going to do it?
when is it going to be done?
how are we going to monitor and evaluate the programme?
what is our implementation and dissemination plan?
what is our risk assessment strategy?
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The 5 steps
Step 5 Moving on
what learning has emerged from the project?
what needs to be done now/next?
Selection of next population/priority revisit step 1
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Health triangle
HealthFunctioning
Functioning
Health
Levels of prevention
• occurring
• recurring
• consequences
•
Diseases / Conditions
Factors
biological
• personal behaviours
• social & community networks
• living & working conditions
• socio-economic, cultural and
environmental conditions
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Group Activity Step 1: Getting started
1. Select a population
2. How does this population relate to national,regional and local
priorities?
3. What would you hope the HNA to achieve (aims and objectives)
4. Who would you want to be involved in the project (team,
stakeholders, senior /policy mangers, skills)
5. What resources would you require?
6. What data might be available about this population and from
where?
7. What challenges/ difficulties might you encounter setting up this
project?
8. How would you overcome these
problems?
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