Why we all need to prioritise population health
All integrated care systems have a responsibility to prioritise population health management and reducing health inequalities.
It is important for all health and care colleagues in Northamptonshire to understand what these terms mean to ensure we can all work together to develop services and deliver integrated care throughout our county.
What is population health?
Population health is an approach aimed at improving the health of an entire population.
It is all about improving people's physical and mental health outcomes and their wellbeing, while reducing health inequalities throughout the population.
It includes action to reduce ill health, including by addressing the wider factors that determine our health (e.g. education, employment, housing) - and requires working with communities and partner agencies.
What is population health management?
Population health management is about improving the health of a population by using data to inform the planning and delivery of services.
Data helps us to anticipate and predict the care people need so it can be provided proactively and in the most effective and joined up way.
Population health management also enables us to identify groups who are particularly at risk and provide support that is tailored to their needs.
What do we mean by health inequalities?
Health inequalities are unfair and avoidable differences in health between different groups of people.
Health inequalities are often grouped across four main categories:
- Socio-economic factors (e.g. employment, income, deprivation)
- Geography (e.g. urban or rural, region)
- Protected characteristics (e.g. ethnicity, sexuality)
- Socially excluded groups (e.g. homeless people, vulnerable migrants)
The effects of inequality are increased for people who are in more than one of these categories.
To find out more about population health management and health inequalities, please visit the Northamptonshire online resource hub.