The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently released a toolkit to improve community health and patient outreach in rural areas and vulnerable urban areas.
As value-based care continues to take hold, health systems are making more of a concerted effort to focus on community health, which helps meet the needs of patients after they leave the hospital.
“Transformation will require participation from more than just the hospital or health system,” AHA said in addressing hospitals. “As you begin to consider the emerging strategies included in the task force report, it is critical for you to engage with individuals from the community and work collaboratively to identify the needs most important to your community.”
AHA’s toolkit will help hospitals begin conversations about healthcare within their communities. They focused on three key strategies: community conversation events, community health assessments and using social media in healthcare.