Richard K. Thomas, PhD, Medical Services Research Group, 1407 Union Avenue, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38104, 901-726-6808, rthomas@nationshealthdata.com

As the size and complexity of the health care system grows, so does the need to become familiar with, assess and otherwise apply a larger number and wider array of data sets. The presentation will focus on · data categories important for community and health service area assessment and planning; • data sources and means of access; · common practical analytical techniques; and · applications of these data to community assessment and planning.

Demographic, health status, health behavior and resource data will be discussed. Attention will also be given to ways health data are generated, to different data formats and how to manage them, and to the usefulness of the Internet as a data source. Practical examples of data analysis and presentation will be discussed. The use of selected assessment and planning tools will be demonstrated.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain practical information about identifying, locating and accesssing data requried to complete a variety of health services planning tasks. The material to be presented focuses on efficient, cost-effective means of obtaining and assessing health care statistical data, descriptive and analytical.

Keywords: Data Collection, Data/Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.