An overview of the health needs assessment problem, the population and the area: Public Health Assignment, OU, UK

Introduction

This should provide at least three things: an overview of the health needs assessment problem, the population and the area (local authority/ borough) the Report is studying (highlighting whether a clear model/s have been used in developing HNA in the past in respect to the health issue/s being covered in this Report and whether or not the same is adopted for your own work); and then signposting the Report.

First Part: an account of the chosen local area / authority (a local borough)

This part should provide an account that describes the area to which the HNA Report relates as a local authority and as a place to live, highlighting its demographic profile, unique community features, key socio-economic circumstances and the overall state of population health. What are the outstanding features and characteristics of this local area that influence life and health of the residents? What is it that the CCG and health commissioners pay most attention to in terms of population health maintenance and improvement in the area? Are there any longstanding or recent changes that make this a unique local area to live in? The importance of this account is to flag up key weaknesses, challenges, strengths and advantages of the local area in relation to the overall state of the health of its residents.

Second Part: the problem (the health needs)

Provide a comprehensive epidemiologic and demographic discussion of the health needs (the health problem/s) based on existing HNA reports, public health reports, data from other sources (e.g. Public Health Profiles, PHE, borough councils) and the wider literature on HNAs. This should include the discussion on the prevalence, incidence, trends over time and patterns of distribution (spatial, ethnic, age, socio-economic status, etc.), levels of mortality, morbidity and disability related to the health problem. How are the relevant health needs in the study population expressed? What are the determinants and risk factors of the health problem/s being studied for this HNA? What evidence of health inequalities exits and how are they expressed across the population groups and different areas (demographic and spatial patterns of distribution) in the local authority?