Epidemiologists are increasingly called upon to support data driven steps of the Community Health Improvement (CHI) Process including assessment of current health status; identification of vulnerable populations and disparities; implementation of evidence based interventions; and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of public health impact.
Building on the skills and learning objectives from the 2015 CHI pre-conference workshop, two half day workshops will prepare participants to effectively support the CHI Process by gaining additional knowledge and skills needed to utilize small area data and estimates, user friendly tools and resources, and evidence-based methods and best practices for collaborative assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
CHI Workshop Part 1: Calculating and utilizing sub-county level indicators or small area estimates to identify and address health disparities (3.5 hours). Case studies from the field will demonstrate how measures of sub-county level life expectancy and associated health determinants can be used to identify, measure, and better understand growing and persistent neighborhood-level health disparities. The session will include a summary of the current scientific understanding on how social, environmental, and behavioral factors drive community health and create persistent health disparities. An interactive exercise will provide participants with the skills to access user-friendly tools and resources to calculate sub-county estimates of life expectancy, visualize the estimate in the context of the social determinants of health, and message the findings based on best practices for catalyzing multi-sector collaborative actions.
CHI Workshop Part 2: Utilizing small area data; cost effective and scientifically supported interventions; and a collective impact framework to implement, monitor, and evaluate public health impact at the community level (3.5 hours). Case studies will provide participants with knowledge and practical tips for utilizing a collective impact framework to meaningfully engage non-profit hospitals, multi-sector partners, and community members in actions to reduce disparities and improve overall community health. The methods and results of an intervention comparative effectiveness review will introduce participants to a core set of evidence-based, cost-effective interventions demonstrated to address disparities and improve community health by addressing upstream social, economic, and environmental risk factors. The session will also include a presentation on CDC’s Evaluation Framework, followed by practical tips and real world examples of effective community intervention evaluations. Presentations will be followed by facilitated discussions and interactive learning opportunities.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
CHI Workshop Part 1 Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session participants will be able to:
- Calculate and utilize neighborhood-level measures of population health (life expectancy) and known social and environmental determinants to identify and assess the modifiable factors driving health disparities;
- Catalyze multi-sector coalitions and empowered communities to collectively address upstream health determinants, reduce disparities, and improve overall community health; and
Employ data visualizing and messaging best and promising practices to raise public and decision maker awareness on the role of multi-sector, place-based factors (e.g., income, housing, employment, transportation, and community development) in creating health and eliminating health disparities.
At the end of this session participants will be able to:
- Explain how the fundamental elements of Collective Impact can be used to meaningfully engage community members and catalyze sustainable multi-sector actions.
- Identify the most cost effective and impactful community-level interventions for addressing disparities and achieving measurable improvements in community health.
- Explain the steps involved in monitoring and evaluating scientifically supported interventions and assessing population health impact.
- Articulate and apply lessons from the field in identifying disparities and monitoring and evaluating public health impact.