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1 - Health Needs Assessment

from Part 1 - The Public Health Toolkit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2023

By
Stephen Gillam  and
Padmanabhan Badrinath
Edited by
Kirsteen Watson ,
Jan Yates  and
Stephen Gillam
Kirsteen Watson
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Jan Yates
Affiliation:
NHS England and NHS Improvement
Stephen Gillam
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
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Summary

The first element of understanding how to improve the health and well-being of a population relies on a thorough assessment of the needs of the specified population, be it a local population defined by geography, a specific age group or those with certain characteristics. This chapter begins by considering how ‘health need’ can be conceptualized; the distinction between need, demand and supply; and the difference between health needs and the need for health-care. Secondly, the wider determinants of health are introduced and their relation to health needs discussed. Finally, the steps involved in a systematic assessment of the health needs of a defined population are explained, including tools and resources used to achieve this. Practical challenges are considered.

Keywords

HNAneedsupplydemandcorporatecomparativeicebergwider determinantscommissioning
Type
Chapter
Information
Essential Public Health
Theory and Practice
 , pp. 13 - 26
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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References

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