Engaging Patients and Communities in the Community Health Needs Assessment Process

Across the United States, nonprofit hospitals are conducting community health needs assessments, a process that involves reviewing health data from communities, selecting the most pressing health needs and developing plans to address the prioritized needs. The scale and scope of these CHNAs create a springboard for hospitals to launch their community health improvement efforts. Engaging patients and community members throughout the process makes the CHNA more powerful for hospitals and the communities they serve.

Released by the Association for Community Health Improvement and the Health Research & Educational Trust, with support from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, this HPOE guide presents a model for engaging patients, their families and community members at each step of the CHNA process.