Community Assessment / Informatics

community assessment

process of data collection about a community; describes the health of the community; guides nursing diagnoses; becomes the basis for program planning / development

types of community health assessment

1. comprehensive assessment

2. population-focused assessment

3. problem-based or health-issue-based assessment

4. health impact assessment

5. rapid needs assessment

kinds of data

1. quantitative

2. qualitative

quantitative data

census figures; local agencies; community surveys; observations

qualitative data

community surveys; key informant interviews; resident interviews; observation

data collection methods

1. windshield survey

2. informant interviews

3. participant observation

4. surveys

5. focus groups

epidemiology

the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states among specified populations and the application of that study to the control of health problems; refers to the who, what, when, where, why, and how of health-related states; generally, PH relies on rates

rate

quantifies the frequency of an event (ex: disease) within a specified population over a specific period of time, representing the likelihood of the event occurring

eq: % = (number of cases / population at risk) x 100

incidence

the number of new cases of a disease or health condition that develop in a population over a specific period of time

prevalence

the proportion of a population that has a specific disease, condition, or attribute at a particular point in time or during a specified period

morbidity

measure of the prevalence or frequency of disease in a population

mortality

measurement of the number of deaths in a defined population over a specified period

health disparities

systematic, avoidable differences in health outcomes, quality of care, and access to care that exist between specific populations

risk factor

a characteristic, behavior, or exposure that is associated with an increased probability of developing a disease or experiencing a health-related event, such as an injury or disorder

protective factor

any characteristic, attribute, or condition of an individual, family, or community that reduces the likelihood of developing a negative health outcome or disease, or mitigates the effects of stress