Assessing and prioritising health needs

Understanding the people you serve

The challenge

Combining data sources to build a rich picture when assessing and prioritising health needs

Effective commissioning starts with a robust Health Needs Assessment (HNA), providing a solid foundation for service design and evaluation that will drive the right outcomes for the populations you serve.
Commissioners should be concerned that their investments in the health system may not be delivering optimal outcomes for their populations. This is because commissioners often lack the capacity or internal capability to undergo a comprehensive Health Needs Assessment.
There is a wealth of data available. Commissioners need to use an appropriate but comprehensive and trusted mix of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ data from multiple sources and agencies with a suitable combination of historical analysis and predictive modelling.
The Health Needs Assessment applies a systematic method to understand the health and social issues facing a population. Prioritising underserved needs and sub-optimal experiences leads to improved health outcomes and reduced health risks whilst addressing health inequities.

What we do

Our structured approach to assessing and prioritising health needs provides a comprehensive view of the population’s needs. This assessment identifies the gaps in current service provision, where the health system experiences adversely impact patients, carers, and the outcomes of care.

Our structure approach for conducting Health Needs Assessments is as follows:

Literature reviews bring empirical evidence and best practice care models from national and international exemplar sites.
Market analysis considers the shares of expenditure on the relevant health care sectors, maps the current service provision (including estate and workforce considerations), and reviews existing pathways and the inherent clinical variation.
Consumer perspectives are gained through interviews, surveys, focus groups and potentially social media analysis, all involving consumer groups, peak bodies and local healthcare providers.
Health economic data analysis uses national and international population benchmarking and health economics to statistically assess relevant mortality, morbidity, prevalence and health inequities relating to different communities, demographics and conditions.

This structured approach provides commissioners with a rich body of information for planning, implementing, and evaluating future services. Rebbeck helps you establish a confident platform to construct service improvement programs and system reform.