Health Assessment Resources – COVID‑19
When beginning a DRIVE program, it is critical to first identify the issue(s) that need to be improved upon, as well as any significant gaps in performance.
In order to do so, data from different areas of a practice or health system are to be collected and assessed to pinpoint the quality improvement (QI) activities that need to be focused on.
To facilitate this objective, the DRIVE resources highlighted in this phase can help structure the right focus, while shaping and understanding baseline needs. This, in turn, will help inform the pathway to take for the DRIVE program.
Three Main Resource Categories
Below are the 3 main resource categories in the DRIVE program that provide different tools and methods to help identify gaps, needs, and/or issues to best target improvement efforts:
| Resource Category | Examples of Health Areas Addressed |
| Community Health |
|
| Health System and Clinic |
|
| Practice Organization and Workflow |
|
Understanding the baseline population health needs can come from community resources, the own health system (eg, EHR data) and by examining what is happening in a practice (eg, by filling out a practice assessment survey and workflow analysis worksheets).
Tips for Collecting Data
During the Assess and Understand phase, it is crucial to collect a variety of data that is pertinent for this QI activity. Here are some recommendations on collecting data effectively:
- One individual in a practice can complete the practice assessment survey (ie, Practice Organization and Workflow section)
- Teams are best for a deeper dive, such as root cause analyses
- Community leaders can help identify external information about the health needs of the population
A planning meeting with all participants can be used to develop a strategy for collecting and/or reviewing baseline data and health care gaps in a consistent way
Applying the “Assess and Understand” phase in-practice
Below are two examples showcasing how the tools and resources in this phase can begin to help address specific needs.
Example 1
Example 1Review of a publication concerning the impact of COVID-19 on African American populations, a physician probes the impact of the pandemic on her community.
The physician could explore the following resources and tools:
Refresh knowledge on COVID-19 disease pathology, testing, case definition, and treatment
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Microsite
Access pertinent literature on COVID-19 and disparities
Office of Minority Health – COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
Access pertinent literature on COVID-19 and chronic diseases
Diseases with health disparities as drivers of COVID-19 outcome
Visit these geo maps to identify local, state, national, and international COVID-19 cases, death rates, laboratory confirmed hospitalization rates, and recovery rates
View COVID-19 vaccination data
Following a better understanding of COVID-19, the physician can now better assess which patients to prioritize for vaccination.
Example 2
A church leader is concerned about COVID-19 in their community. After accessing additional information from trusted resources, the church leader reaches out to a local physician and the local department of health. Both entities agree to partner with the church leader to provide a virtual presentation to the congregation about COVID-19 in their community and optimal ways to prevent infection, where and when to receive a vaccine, and treatment for COVID-19.
Provider and Community Health Resources
Identify Local Health Disparities
Access big data analytics to help accelerate knowledge for a specific condition or therapy
National Minority Quality Forum: Patient Advocacy Learning Communities
Retrieve zip code level of disease prevalence, health care services utilized, and costs for demographic subgroups and provide reports to share with Champions and policy makers in the community
Assess Community Health Needs
Assess the health needs of the local community
CDC’s Community Health Assessments and Health Improvement Planning
Measure public health in local region with NACCHO Community Health Assessment and Improvement Planning
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Better understand patients’ social determinants of health with the PRAPARE Protocol
PRAPARE: Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences
A virtual forum addressing efforts to help communities move forward from the impacts of the pandemic. Featuring Dr. Jaime A. Davidson and Dr. Laura Lee Hall,
Refresh knowledge on COVID-19 pathology, testing, and treatment
Access pertinent literature on COVID-19 and disparities
Access pertinent literature on COVID-19 and chronic diseases
Diseases with health disparities as drivers of COVID-19 outcome
American Diabetes Association – Diabetes and Coronavirus (COVID-19)
American Lung Association – Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Lungevity – COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs
American Society of Hematology – COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease: Frequently Asked Questions
Visit geo maps to identify local, state, national, and international COVID-19 data
View COVID-19 vaccination data
Health System and Clinic Performance Resources
Uncover COVID-19 measures at health system and clinics
The following illustrates different approaches for stakeholders to generate, assess, and utilize pertinent data about their QI performance.
Assessing the status of patients in a given system or practice can be difficult in this period of time, when COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and treatment are often siloed between clinical providers and public health systems. Nonetheless, clinicians and health systems can look to the following for practice-specific data:
- Query electronic health records (EHRs) for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 to ascertain treatment need
- Patients, including those with specific chronic disease at increased risk of COVID-19, can be surveyed via the patient portal, telephone outreach, or telehealth visits concerning their knowledge of and experience with COVID-19
