Overview - PH 421: What Is Community Health Assessment?

After completing PH 421, learners will be proficient in describing assessment in public health, including its unique and important features, to general audiences. Key aspects of this competency expectation include:

• describing the purpose, scope and process of assessment in public health
• identifying broad categories of health-related factors that public health assessment activities consider
• describing current approaches and tools used in public health assessment, including an Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health (APEX-PH) and Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP)
• describing the roles of community partners in a collaborative assessment process
• identifying 5 or more Internet web sites that provide useful information on community health assessment
  

This course involves several learning activities; see the PH 421 Exercises document for detailed instructions.

• Content: the content for this course is provided in the specific readings and other resources identified in the PH 421 Exercises document.
• Office Hours: This messaging system was created to handle questions and announcements. Visit this site to introduce yourself to the course as well as to help you get familiar with the workings of the system.
• Exercises:
  1. Individual Exercise: submit the completed individual exercise under the link "Submit Assignments". Your instructor will provide feedback by replying to your posting
  2. Conferencing Exercise: add your contribution to this multi-learner conferencing exercise.
  3. Assessment Quiz: complete and submit the multiple choice assessment quiz for PH 421.

The instructor will evaluate your responses to the various exercises and indicate when you have successfully completed PH 421. For learners interested in going beyond the basics, a list of additional resources, including readings and other materials, is available through the Additional Resources link. This list emphasizes the most up-to-date materials. Information on related courses is provided in the PH 420 Course Series Syllabus. PH 422 (or any other course) can begin whenever you wish, so feel free to begin the readings that are identified for the course that you plan to take next.

PH 421 Overview last revised July 12, 2004 (bturnock)