Practice based health needs assessment: use of four methods in a small neighbourhood.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the use of four methods to define health needs in a community, with a view to formulating guidelines for practice based assessment of health needs.


METHODS
Collection of data on health needs for a specific neighbourhood with four complementary methods: rapid participatory appraisal, postal survey, analysis of routinely available small area statistics, and collation of practice held information.


METHODS
Council estate of 670 homes in Edinburgh.


METHODS
Description and comparison of health needs found by the different methods.


RESULTS
Each method yielded particular insights into both health and health care needs.


CONCLUSIONS
An extended primary care team with public health support can assess health and health care needs in a neighbourhood by means of a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. Different methods may be more suitable to assess different health needs or to explore potential service provision in the community or in primary or secondary care. A composite method may be most informative.
Murray
S A
SA
Department of General Practice, University of Edinburgh.
Graham
L J
LJ
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012606:Scotland; D017062:Small-Area Analysis; D014504:Urban Health