Louisiana Parish Health Profiles 1999: using information to drive local action

The Parish Health Profiles 1999, published by the Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Public Health (OPH), are intended to be a source of parish-level health information to be used for community-level planning. The third edition of the Profiles uses a broader definition of health to understand the quality of life of communities. The included information represents not only health status, but also other aspects of quality of life, such as the status of local education, economy, environment, and crime and safety. The process of collecting this information yielded two additional results: strengthened relationships amongst information-providing agencies across the state and an orientation and subsequent comprehensive chapter of information on action and resources. In addition, the publication is designed to be reader friendly, with a strong emphasis on the use of the Parish Health Profiles to aid in understanding data. The Office of Public Health recognizes that the Parish Health Profiles will continue to evolve to meet the needs of their audience. In order to ensure continuous quality improvement through future editions, the Profiles are supported by an 18-month, multi-level evaluation process, ensuring consumer and user input and comment at different levels.