ABSTRACT
Addressing health and health care needs has always been fundamental to the purpose of public health. The increasing commodification of health and health care has not only blurred the boundaries between needs and wants, but also created demands for all manner of products and interventions. Health needs assessment (HNA) has developed as a population-based methodology for objectively assessing the nature and extent of health needs in a specific area. Rapid appraisal (RA) and rapid participatory appraisal (RPA) are particular types of HNAs that have been used predominantly in low- and middle-income countries for several decades. In England, an annual Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) has been a statutory requirement for the local authority since 2007, the resulting document to be used to inform the commissioning of local services to address identified needs. Assessing local health needs remains an important part of public health practice, ostensibly providing a rational basis for planning and commissioning services.
