title: Researching limiting long-term illness.
abstract: Needs assessment has become one of the cornerstones for commissioning health care in the UK but, as yet, no agreed methodological framework exists. This study attempts to build on a number of different approaches used in needs assessment in order to formulate a more complex and integrated model. We have taken limiting long-term illness (LLI) as a starting point and examined its prevalence within the primary care setting in an area of North Staffordshire. This was followed by the application of a health status measure on two sub-samples (those reporting LLI and those not reporting LLI). The diagnostic assessments of the GP was placed alongside the results of the health status measure in order to compare self-assessment with the professional perspective. Finally, in-depth interviews with people with LLI were carried out examining their own experience of ill-health. We argue that this detailed and complex needs assessment allows for a more targeted approach to commissioning and service development.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Planning and Management, Keele University, UK. hma09@keele.ac.uk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Croft
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom