Step 1.2 Gathering Health Concerns and Other Information

Types of Information

Some types of information might be available from a site visit and other types of information would be gathered before or after a site visit.

Following are some types of information available from site visits:

• Community health concerns. Information about health concerns in the community is usually gathered at meetings held in association with site visits, but meetings may be held throughout the public health assessment process.
• Visual confirmation of community size and composition.
• Visual sense of the land and natural resource uses.
• Visual idea about the movement of contaminants.

The following types of information would be available from other sources:

• Background and site history information is usually available in reports that are collected before or after the site visit.
• Environmental contamination information is usually available in reports that are collected before or after the site visit, unless the community and environmental agencies are able to provide it at the time of the site visit.
• Information contained in state databases about births, deaths, and diseases in the community’s population is usually gathered after the site visit.

What’s the best way to make sure that important details are captured during the site visit?

Health assessors can capture details about the site effectively by using the tools that are available for organizing information at the site, making notes at the site, and taking photographs or videos. Upon returning from a site visit, health assessors can present the information to several coworkers and have an open discussion about the possible pathways. With their help, the health assessor can compile a list of information that might still be needed to complete the assessment.