Date reviewed: 23-04-09
'Health needs assessment is a systematic method for reviewing the health issues facing a population, leading to agreed priorities and resource allocation that will improve health and reduce inequalities.' (1)
It forms part of the World class commissioning competency to manage knowledge and assess needs:
'Manage knowledge and undertake robust and regular needs assessments that establish a full understanding of current and future local health needs....
Commissioning decisions should be based on sound knowledge and evidence. By identifying current needs and anticipating future trends, PCTs will be able to ensure that current and future commissioned services address and respond to the needs of the whole population, especially those whose needs are greatest. The JSNA [Joint Strategic Needs Assessment] will form one part of this assessment, but when operated at world class levels will require more and richer data, knowledge and intelligence than the minimum laid out within the proposed duty of a JSNA.' (2)
Department of Health
Transforming community services: enabling new patterns of provision (Department of Health, January 2009)
Sexual health needs assessments (SHNA): a 'how to guide'. (August 2007)
Understanding and planning for the needs of individuals and of the local population. Chapter 3 in Commissioning framework for health and well-being (March 2007)
Diabetes commissioning toolkit. - includes guidance on needs assessment. (November 2006)
CAMHS needs assessment for primary care trusts. - Dear Colleague Letter (March 2005)
Guidance on developing prison health needs assessments and health improvement plans. (January 2002)
Toolkit for health care needs assessment in prisons (January 2000)
NICE (former Health Development Agency publications)
Health needs assessment: a practical guide. (2005)
Clarifying approaches to health needs assessment, health impact assessment, integrated impact assessment, health equity audit and race equality impact assessment. (2005)
Clarifying health impact assessment, integrated impact assessment and health needs assessment. (2004)
Health needs assessment workbook. (2003)
Care Services Efficiency Delivery
Anticipating future needs toolkit. (September 2007)
Care Services Improvement Partnership
Public health tools and techniques and their application to integrated services. Chapter 4 in The role of public health in supporting integrated services. (May 2007)
The role of needs analysis in developing a commissioning strategy. - Chapter 5 of the Commissioning e-book
ERPHO (Eastern Region Public Health Observatory)
What is health needs assessment? - PowerPoint presentation
Primary data needed for a strategic needs assessment.
Every Child Matters
'Turning the curve' toolkit: practical application of results based accountability. (August 2006)
Health of Londoners Project
Developing health assessment for black and minority ethnic groups: summary. (2000)
Mid Hampshire PCT
Health needs assessment toolkit. (2002)
NATPACT
Pharmecuetical needs assesment toolkit. (December 2004)
SWPHO (South West Public Health Observatory)
Key components in strategic needs assessment.
LHO (London Health Observatory)
London Practice Profiles Tool
Trent Research & Development Support Unit
Trent focus for research and development in primary care : health needs assessment in primary care. (1998)
National Public Health Service for Wales
Health needs assessment : topics and indicators - includes links to guidance and local data.
World Health Organization
Community health needs assessment: an introductory guide for the family health nurse in Europe. (2001)
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Reports and Consultation Documents |
Commissioning healthcare in prisons: the results of joint work between the Healthcare Commission and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons in 2007/8 (Healthcare Commission, February 2009)
Comprehensive area assessment: framework document (Audit Commission, February 2009)
Too little too late: an independent review of unmet mental health need in prison (Prison Reform Trust, February 2009)
Children and young people in mind: the final report of the National CAMHS Review (Department of Health, November 2008)
Framing the contribution of allied health professionals (Department of Health, October 2008)
Paying the price: the cost of mental health care in England to 2026 (The King's Fund, May 2008)
Bradford & District LGB health needs assessment. (Equity Partnership, October 2007)
Bury's strategic community needs assessment (Capital Project Consultancy, June 2007)
Alcohol needs assessment research project (ANARP). - describes methodology and results. (Department of Health, 2004)
The Department of Health's black and ethnic minority drug misuse needs assessment project: community engagement. Report 1: The Process. Report 2: The findings. (Centre for Ethnicity and Health, 2003)
Health profile of England - a collation of national and regional data to provide a baseline for comparative local health profiles. (Department of Health, October 2008)
Health profiles - snapshots of health in local authorities based on key health indicators. (Association of Public Health Observatories)
Health needs assessment (NHS Networks)
POPPI - Projecting Older People Population Information (Care Services Efficiency Delivery)
Population needs assessment (North West Commissioning Roadmap)
| Articles and Parliamentary Reports |
Collection of topic articles on needs assessment from the BMJ. (1999 - date)
Brown, Colin, et al. Using consecutive Rapid Participatory Appraisal studies to assess, evaluate health and social care change in community settings. BMC Public Health 2006; 6 (68): (16 March 2006)
McCrone, Paul, et al. The development of a Local Index of Need (LIN) and its use to explain variations in socal services expenditure on mental health care in England. Health and Social Care in the Community 2006; 14 (3): 254-263.
Majeed, Nazeem. Sources, uses, strengths and limitations of primary care data collected in England. Health Statistics Quarterly 2004; (21): 5-14 (Spring 2004)
Mohsen, Asadi-Llari, et al. Need for redefining needs. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2003; 1 (34): (21 August 2003)
BMJ
Series of articles describing approaches to, and topics for, health needs assessment and how the results can be used effectively. (April - June 1998)
Development and importance of health needs assessment.
Needs assessment from theory to practice.
Assessment in primary care: practical issues and posssible approaches.
Epidemiological issues in health needs assessment.
Whose priorities? Listening to users and the public.
See also Health needs assessment: a systematic review. - management briefing. (Health Management Specialist Library, 2006)
(1). Health needs assessment: a practical guide. (Health Development Agency, 2005)
(2). World class commissioning: competencies. (Department of Health, December 2007)
