This document provides an overview of community diagnosis and its framework. It defines community diagnosis as a quantitative and qualitative description of citizen health and influencing factors, including perceptions. The general framework involves 7 steps: 1) defining the community; 2) gathering health information; 3) measuring health conditions; 4) planning/organizing services; 5) integrating with the health system; 6) intersectoral coordination; and 7) community involvement. The goal is to estimate problem magnitude, analyze trends, and stimulate action to improve community health.

1. COMMUNITY
DIAGNOSISD R K H A R D E A N U P
A S S I S T A N T P R O F E S S O R
D E P A R T M E N T O F C O M M U N I T Y M E D I C I N E
R M C P I M S - D U L O N I

3. Community: “The people living in a particular place or region and usually linked by common
interest.”

4. • Word Health Organization “ a quantitative and qualitative description of the health
of citizen and the factors which influences their health including popitulation’s
perception of their own health”
• It Identifies the Problems
• It proposed Areas for improvement and
• It stimulates Action
Community Diagnosis
Comprehensive Problem based

5. ⁂To estimate the magnitude of health problems and determinants;
⁂To analyze the trends and changing paradigms of these problems and determinants

6. Clinical diagnosis Community Diagnosis
Made by the doctor (physician) Made by epidemiologist (or doctor)
Concerned with individual case Concerned with define population
Concerned with only sick Concerned with sick as well healthy
Examination of patients Epidemiologist conduct survey
Signs and Symptoms Natural history of disease
Laboratory investigation Epidemiological investigation
Doctors decide the treatment Epidemiologist decide the plan of action
Treatment is the main aim Prevention and Promotion is the main aim
Involves follow up cases It involves evaluation of Program
Technology advances Statistical values

7. GENERAL FRAME WORK FOR COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS
Defining the community
1) Gathering community health information
2) Measurement of health conditions
3) Planning & Organizing health care services
4) Monitoring community health
Community
Diagnosis
Community
Intervention
5) Integrating with the health system 6) Intersectoral coordination 7) Community Involvement
5 to 7 are simultaneous steps in both community diagnosis and community interventions steps

8. Defining the community:
o Initial step, define the target community
o Country, Province, District, or State
o More define geographical region Urban inner city
o Socially defined groups; poor community, reproductive age women, infants, elders etc.
Poor defining may cause over or under representation of sub groups

9. 1. Gathering community health information:
 Health needs and demands of a community
Factors influencing health and disease in the community
Health resources available
Vulnerability of community and “at-risk groups”
Every community is at different stages of health development;
Resources (type of information)
• Census, SRS, Civil registration system, NFHS
• Data from revenue department, (age, sex, case ,religion, education & BPL status etc.)
• List of hospital, doctors and health care providers, Medical records, interaction with medical
staff
• List of school, NGOs. Gov. welfare & rehabilitation centers
• Public agencies Water. Sewage
• Meteorological department
• Customs, cultures, local traditions and festivals

10. 2. Measurement of health conditions
o Measurement of health conditions of community different health indicators are use
like;
3. Planning & Organizing Healthcare Services
Rationale:
o Limited resources
o Tug of War
o Prioritization
Morbidity Mortality Disability
Fertility Health care services, their need, AAA, Quality, Utilization
Health related knowledge, belief, attitude, behaviors (practices)
HealthInfrastructure, Defense
Education, Agriculture

11. 4. Monitoring Health of Community:
o Purpose: to know the effect of community health interventions, identify the reason behind
failure and poor effects, or to do mid way correction
o Outcome indicators are used to monitor short term effects
o Impact indicators are used to monitor long term effects
5. Integrating with Health system:
o To achieve best results government health care delivery system should be integrated with local
health systems like private hospital, NGO,SNGO, academic or research institute in health
o Nature of partnership may be coordination, cooperation or collaboration

12. 6. Intersectoral coordination:
o Health is affected by multiplicity of factors like housing conditions, air & water pollutions,
sanitary conditions etc.
o Intersectoral coordination will ensure timely warning, ensure optimum unitization of
resources and prevent duplication of work

13. 7. Community Involvement:
o Its futile if community not utilizes the health services
o Member of the community are to be involved in each and every process of community
intervention like; health need assessment, planning of services, resources mobilization,
monitoring health situation etc.
o Community gate keepers: Local social or political or religious leaders, teachers, social
workers, office bearers of community organization