Assessing a health priority for change

Assessing health priorities is a key component of stage 3 of undertaking a JSNA. This assessment should involve the following:

• Identifying health priorities which might have the biggest impact (with the use of tools such as a Health Triangle)
  • Identifying the most important aspects of health function
  • Use of ranking & consensus view
  • Identifying health conditions/determinant factors with most significant impact

It is important to prioritise need and chose the health conditions/determinant factors with the most significant impact on health priority. When doing so it is important to consider the severity and size of the health priority, and whether it is acceptable or feasible.

Identifying which actions will be effective the health priority(ies) identified is key to making any changes you make successful. In doing this it would be important to consider the following:

• What are the effective actions that can reduce the health priority across the 3 levels of prevention?
  • What is the evidence of effectiveness of each of these actions?
  • Are there any national policies or frameworks which set out what should be done?

Once a change(s) has been identified it is key to understand whether they will be acceptable to all stakeholders/groups, whether the actions will reach the most affected group (s) and whether the resource implications are feasible?

Tools for supporting stage 3

Methods of prioritisation

• Forced ranking
• Strategy grid
• Priority grid
• Nominal group technique