Health needs assessment

Question 1

What is the health needs assessment planning cycle?

Answer 1

Needs assessment
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation

Question 2

Define need, supply and demand

Answer 2

Need - ability to benefit from an intervention
Demand - what people ask for
Supply - what is provided

Question 3

Define a health needs assessment

Answer 3

systematic method for reviewing the health issues facing a population, leading to agreed priorities and resource allocation that will improve health and reduce inequalities

Question 4

Difference between health needs and health care needs?

Answer 4

Health needs - Need for health. Measured using mortality, morbidity
Health care needs - Need for health care. Depends on potential of prevention, treatment and care services

Question 5

Who or what might a health needs assessment be carried out for?

Answer 5

It might be carried out for:
Population i.e GP practice population
Condition i.e COPD
Intervention i.e coronary angioplasty

Question 6

4 different types of need according to Bradshaw (sociological perspective)

Answer 6

Felt need - individual perceptions of variation from normal health
Expressed need - individual seeks help to overcome variation in normal health (individuals demand for something)
Normative need - professional defines intervention appropriate for the expressed need
Comparative need - comparison between severity, range of interventions and cost
(needs arising in one location may be similar for people with similar socio-demographic characteristics living in another location)

Question 7

3 different public health approaches to health needs assessment?

Answer 7

Epidemiological
Comparative
Corporate

Question 8

What does epidemiological approach to health needs assessment mean?

Answer 8

Define problem
Size of problem
 - incidence / prevalence
Services available
 -  prevention / treatment / care
Evidence base
 - effectiveness and cost-effectiveness
Models of care
 - including quality and outcome measures
Existing services
 - unmet need; services not needed
Recommendations

Question 9

Limitations of the epidemiological approach?

Answer 9

Required data may not be available
Variable data quality
Evidence base may be inadequate
Does not consider felt needs of people affected

Question 10

What does comparative approach to health needs assessment mean?

Answer 10

Compares the services received by a population (or subgroup) with others

• Spatial
• Social (age, gender, class, ethnicity)

 May examine:
 - Health status
 - Service provision
 - Service utilisation
 - Health outcomes
      (mortality, morbidity, quality of life, patient satisfaction)

Question 11

Limitations of the comparative approach?

Answer 11

May not yield what the most appropriate level e.g. of provision or utilisation should be
Data may not be available
Data may be of variable quality
May be difficult to find a comparable
population

Question 12

What does corporate approach to health needs assessment mean?

Answer 12

Assessment of stakeholder perception - includes commissioners, providers, professionals, patients, press, politicians, opinion leaders to make a combined decision

Question 13

Limitations of the corporate approach?

Answer 13

May be difficult to distinguish need from
demand
Groups may have vested interests
May be influenced by political agendas
Dominant personalities may have undue
influence

Question 14

Give one health related example of something that
you consider is demanded but not needed or
supplied, clearly explaining the reasoning for your
example

Answer 14

Cosmetic surgery