What Is a Health Outcome Data Evaluation?
Purpose
A health outcome data evaluation includes gathering data from existing databases and analyzing the data. The analysis is conducted to see if any unusual pattern of a disease is occurring in the community being investigated as compared to another population (the comparison population) with similar characteristics. The health assessor can use the results of the analysis to help identify any specific health condition that may occur more frequently in people in the community than in people in the comparison population.
A health outcome data evaluation cannot provide proof of a cause-and-effect relationship between health problems and a hazardous waste site.
A health outcome data evaluation can provide the following: a general idea of health conditions for a specific population. an indication of whether more cases of a particular disease have occurred in a community than in a comparison population, and an indication that more investigation should be considered.