The New Community Assessment Process

The community assessment component is a critical part of the community-wide planning process, since it provides planners with an understanding of the environment and the uniqueness of the community. The first step involves the development of a general picture of the community and its healthcare system. This process includes a review of pertinent background materials and interviews with key participants inside and outside of health care. With the increasing interest in the social determinants of health, it is important that representatives of other sectors (e.g., education, housing, criminal justice) should be included. This information lays the groundwork for an environmental assessment of broad trends that begins at the societal level and then identifies similar developments at the local level. The key deliverables are profiles of the community and its population. Critical components are assessments of the population’s health status and its patterns of health behavior. Community resources are inventoried and this information interfaced with identified needs to determine gaps between needs and resources. The community assessment provides the basis for subsequent planning activities.