Community Health Assessment and Planning
CEI researchers and facilitators have experience to support your next community health assessment or community health planning.
Our Approach to Community Health Assessment and Planning
Our experienced facilitators and researchers partner with coalitions, hospitals, health departments and others to support CHA, CHIP and CHNA efforts. Our approach emphasizes close collaboration with a local leadership team and engagement of a broad set of community members throughout the process. Our approach to community health assessment and planning is rooted in nationally-recognized models and frameworks but we customize each assessment or planning process to fit local preferences or needs. Continue scrolling to learn more about key steps in our approach to community health assessment and planning.
Expected steps of CEI-Facilitated Planning Process
CEI staff would meet with the local project team and other partners to develop plans for the assessment that may include, but are not limited to, approval of tools and methods, discussion of data sources for primary and secondary data compilation, identification of interview/focus group participants or target groups for other primary data collection, and identification and invitation of stakeholders for data collection activities. Additionally, CEI researchers would secure approval from the Wichita State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) for human subjects protection for this project, particularly for primary data collection. In short, we’d meet to collaboratively work out details of the assessment.
CEI will work with the local project team to compile the most recent publicly available data. CEI will use Kansas Health Matters as a primary resource for identifying existing public health data. Additionally, CEI researchers will compile data from other sources such as the Census, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, KIDS COUNT, and other databases. Guidance will be taken from the project team for any data/topics not available through Kansas Health Matters. The project team will also provide guidance in identifying data comparisons that might be of interest (i.e., comparisons to another county/counties, year over year comparisons, etc.).
CEI would work with the local project team to select appropriate data collection methods and identify key stakeholder groups. CEI utilizes a variety of primary data collection methods, most of which are described briefly in the table below. Depending on the agreed upon scope of work for the project, some or all of the following primary data collection methods could be utilized.
METHOD | PARTICIPANTS | INFORMATION GATHERED |
Key informant interviews | Persons with connections to the public health system and/or consumers | In-depth description of the community. |
Focus groups | Targeted groups of 6 to 15 persons | Input from persons who may be under-represented in other data gathering efforts and/or have a unique perspective on health in the community. |
Community listening sessions | General audience 15-40 persons | Input from residents of specific geographic areas regarding general experiences and perceptions of health in the community. |
Online survey | Steering Committee (and/or similar audiences) | Input from persons with extensive experience and involvement in the community health system. |
ThoughtExchange | Link can be sent to identified stakeholders | A broad question will be created focused on gathering numerous ideas about the desired topic and will provide a link via e-mail to identified stakeholders. Participants use the link to provide as many responses as they want to the broad question as well as rate the answers of others. This will allow us to identify priority ideas through the ratings as well as do deeper analysis of where splits in opinion may be or other nuances of the feedback. |
CEI would partner with the local project team to design and facilitate community meetings to identify strategic issues/priorities.
CEI would work with the local project team to gather input about the overall design of the final report structure and format. CEI would provide TA to the local project team on using the report.
CEI would meet with the local project team following development of the assessment report to discuss how the assessment could be regularly reviewed, learning captured, and strategies and actions adapted. CEI would work with the local project team to develop an ongoing monitoring and evaluation process.
Resources
Want to learn more about community health assessment and planning? Check out these models, frameworks and tools from local and national partners.
Examples
Check out these community health assessment stories and examples of our work with Kansas communities.
CONNECT WITH US
If you are interested, contact us for a consultation appointment to discuss next steps.