Use of readily available data for identifying local health care needs and resources.
Health departments everywhere are struggling to balance shrinking resources against increasing requests for services. According to the Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Public Health, one of the barriers to solving public health problems is "... disjointed decision-making without necessary data and knowledge ..." (p. 107). Leadership of the Middle Tennessee Region of the Tennessee Department of Health have addressed this issue by developing a practical, usable data base from which to consider the needs and resources of the region.
Roberts
F B
FB
Middle Tennessee Region, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville 37217.
Shima
S
S
Dockery
B
B
Hayes
M H
MH
Stevens
R
R
D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D006292:Health Priorities; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010934:Planning Techniques; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D012040:Regional Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012423:Rural Health; D013714:Tennessee