title: Comprehensive Index for Community Health Assessment of Typical District Administrative Units in Maharashtra State, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health administrators require status of health of different administrative units under them. Use of large number of indicators may create confusion and uncertainty about health status. Availability of a comprehensive index is certainly useful.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evolve one comprehensive health index for a district as unit and measure district wise disparity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten indicators from categories of health outcomes, health system, determinants of health, and utilization of services were considered. Data for districts in Maharashtra State were obtained from different sources.For each indicator the best performing district was given score of 100 and other districts were given marks proportionately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The comprehensive index for the state was 0.52. The district scoring lowest value of 0.36 was a tribal district and scoring highest value of 0.66 was a nontribal district.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Computing such index of districts for monitoring and allocation of resources may be useful managerial tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, BVDU Medical College, Satara Road, Pune, India.
authors.forename: Prakash Prabhakarrao
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Doke
keywords: Comprehensive index; India; a desk analysis; health disparities; health outcomes; health system