Algorithms for Health Planners Vol. 1, An Overview

One of a series of reports presenting a methodology to help health planners develop objectives and actions by means of selected health status indicators that may be amenable to health care interventions. Using the algorithms, health system agencies can investigate determinants of health status, identify possible breakdowns in the health care system, and specify remedies. The algorithms rely primarily on vital statistics. The first report in the series introduces five manuals prepared to help health systems agencies in using the health status measures of their populations in developing health resource plans. Each manual shows the planning agency in a step-by-step fashion how to obtain and analyze data on various problems. Algorithms have been developed for the following five problem areas: infant mortality, breast cancer mortality, heart attack mortality, preventable death and disease, and high blood pressure. (See also R-2215/2 through /6.)