Abstract
Introduction: Gippsland Primary Health Network (PHN) works to improve health and wellbeing of people in the region by commissioning services and other projects. The work is informed by a Health Needs Assessment which includes priority setting as a necessary part as resources are never unlimited.
A Health Needs Assessment method was designed to increase community involvement in priority setting to balance felt and expressed needs with needs identified based on data.
The presentation will be of interest to anyone involved in population health planning.
Community involvement
Community involvement was incorporated throughout the Health Needs Assessment:
- Gippsland PHN Community Advisory Committee
oRegular involvement at quarterly meetings
oFive members provided advice between meetings
- An Expert Advisory Group for Priority Setting (the Advisory Group) with broad representation by a variety of key stakeholders, including four Community Advisory Committee members
- Community Workshops in local planning areas
What we did: The priority setting included:
- Design a method based on a literature review and consultation with key stakeholders
- Health problems identified based on quantitative data, needs identified by community members and/or professional stakeholder intelligence
- Draft methods and a list of health problems were adjusted based on comments from the Advisory Group
- Health problems were assessed using a matrix by seven member of the Advisory Group
- Average overall scores were discussed and adjusted based on consensus
- Provisional priority areas were discussed in Community Workshops
- An internal Population Health Working Group added a final layer of decision making
- List of priorities shared with key stakeholders
- Evaluation of the priority setting exercise
Five criteria were used in a scoring matrix with a ten-point scale and detailed definitions:
- Size and severity of issue, including mortality, prevalence, incidence and impact on health
- Community, consumer and carer reports of need
- Professional stakeholder reports of need
- Alignment with PHN role and partner priority areas
- Opportunity for change
Results: The Advisory Group highlighted a need to balance technical and value-based components and a need to compromise.
A proposed ‘Fairness’ criterion had strong support from community members, but it was decided to include these considerations as potential priorities instead; including vulnerable groups and factors affecting health.
Gippsland PHN priority areas for 2022-25 (https://gphn.org.au/what-we-do/health-planning-research-and-evaluation/population-health/our-priorities/) were grouped into four categories:
Prevention
Better health services
Main health issues
Supporting people
Seventy Community Contacts were recruited to have an ongoing involvement in Gippsland PHN’s work.
Next steps: The next Health Needs Assessment is planned for 2024 and methods will reflect recommendations from an internal evaluation, including:
- Strengthening community involvement
- An Advisory Group with a broader advisory role and earlier involvement to improve transparency and rigor
- Clearer descriptions of the priority setting method and priority needs to achieve a common understanding of population outcomes that matter to people
- Expand work with partner organisations to learn about ways to address priority needs