Community health monitoring is an essential aspect of the country’s health system. Various functions of the government and non-governmental institutions rely on community health monitoring reports. But, what exactly is community health monitoring?
Community health monitoring is the regular collection of data on the general health of community members. The data collected includes aspects that affect the community’s health, such as the presence of disease-causing pathogens. There are many forms of community health monitoring. Due to technological advancements, community health monitoring software is used to collect and analyze data. Community health monitoring is done by various organizations. However, most of these organizations are limited depending on their areas of operation. In some cases, the government contracts private corporations to conduct the exercise.
Reasons for community health monitoring vary depending on the interested institutions. However, here are some common reasons why institutions conduct community health monitoring.
- Scientific studies and research- medical studies and research rely on data from communities. Community health monitoring provides information needed by researchers to make conclusions on potential infections and their treatment. Information about how certain environments impact communities can be used to create medicine suited for people in certain regions. How community members react to treatment and vaccines allows the development of effective measures to contain contagious infections. Additionally, community health monitoring prepares researchers for potential pandemics such as the coronavirus.
- Budgeting- Financial planning is essential for the operation of medical institutions and governments. To come up with estimates needed in the health sector, the government relies on information from community health monitoring. This ensures efficient operation of the health sector and all related departments that are funded by the government. Additionally, medical institutions require information from community health monitoring to budget for medical supplies. For instance, the number of infections in a certain community can be used to allocate doctors and medicine in hospitals in that region.
- Development planning- community health monitoring is essential in planning for development projects, whether by the government or private entities. Information on people’s health and environmental impacts arising from development projects can be used to identify ideal sites for development. Additionally, the need for medical institutions in an area depends on the data collected in the community health monitoring process. If the community health monitoring reports indicate disease-causing agents’ presence, the government may restrict the establishment of recreational centers. The creation of policies in both the manufacturing and medical sectors also relies on information from community health monitoring.
Factors Influencing Community Health Monitoring
Effective community health monitoring depends on various factors. Overlooking some of these factors could lead to collection of inaccurate data. In some cases, the monitoring process might completely fail. Some of these factors include;
- Size of the community- The number of people in a community determines the method of community health monitoring employed. In smaller communities, manual collection of data can be used and still give accurate information. Larger communities can be challenging if the information is collected manually. It might require a larger number of data collectors which increases the cost of the process. Thanks to technological developments, community health monitoring software can be used to collect relevant information. Such software only requires community members to take part in surveys through their mobile phones or computers. The collected data is transmitted to central stations for analysis.
- Nature of information needed- Community health monitoring is essential for different organizations. The organization in question determines the kind of information collected. For instance, manufacturers of medical supplies need information about the kind of medicine most community members use. Those developing vaccines might need information on how community members react to certain treatments.
- Cost of the monitoring process- Financial considerations are important in community health monitoring. Knowing the amount of money needed allows organizations to determine the method of monitoring to employ. Community health monitoring software is uneconomical for small communities.
Community health monitoring is essential in the policymaking process. For this reason, all involved parties need to pay attention to fine details when collecting information. Inaccurate information could result in biased policies that make life hard for community members. Although technology is essential in this process, understanding how to use it is essential. Individuals engaged in community health monitoring must be computer literate and have analytical thinking abilities to deliver accurate information.
