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6 Reasons Why Population Surveys Are the Future of Community Health

July 24, 2018

If you’re not sure how best to meet the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) requirements set forth by healthcare reform legislation and built into new IRS regulations, you’re not alone. For our experienced CHNA team, the overall goal of each assessment is to identify the existing health needs of your population and then provide data that will help you develop programs which appropriately address your community’s unique identifiers.

You may already be familiar with performing these assessments through secondary data, which rely on information from groups like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Census Bureau, and local health departments. However, a comprehensive examination requires both this secondary data and primary data, such as resources from a PRC Community Health Survey. In an age of customizable data and in-depth knowledge at our fingertips, check out these six reasons to invest in a population survey for your CHNA.

  1. PRC Community Health Surveys offer the most current data available about health experiences, behaviors, and chronic conditions, while secondary data is often up to five years old. Planning around the most recent data is invaluable in today’s rapidly-changing world.
  2. A custom population survey allows you to develop unique indicators measuring the social determinants of health in your community.
  3. Primary data target the exact population you’re looking for, sharing more than just county-level statistics, drilling down to the demographics, neighborhoods, and characteristics you need to truly understand your community and make an impact.
  4. PRC’s customized community health surveys use tested and established national survey questions to hone in on exactly what you need to know about a population. Our scientific inquiries are unparalleled and consistently yield highly effective data.
  5. People most easily relate to data about themselves, their neighbors, family, and friends. The primary data uncovered in a PRC survey provides grassroots evidence for community change the residents can support.
  6. Schedule H requires hospitals to describe how their CHNA identifies primary and chronic disease needs, as well as other issues for specific groups such as the uninsured, low-income populations, and minorities. The PRC CHNA offers the necessary flexibility to investigate these subpopulations on a level not available through secondary data alone.

The PRC Community Health Survey offers more than just the numbers you’re looking for—it also shares the best course of action local healthcare leaders like yourself can take to make your community stronger. These primary data give researchers the opportunity to understand the “why” and provide detailed information that better equips hospitals and other partners to create programs that will directly impact community health. For more information, download our Powerhouse CHNA Whitepaper, check out our CHNA Minute page, or contact a team member today.

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