External collaboration and performance: North Carolina local public health departments, 1996

This study examined the extent to which local public health departments in North Carolina collaborated with other groups and organizations, the health problems on which they worked together, and the effect of external collaboration on health departments' performance on core public health functions.

The author mailed a questionnaire asking about interactions with city and county government agencies, boards of health, schools, nonprofits, physicians/private clinics, community health centers/migrant clinics, community members, citizens' groups, state and federal agencies, and universities to all of the directors of local public health departments in North Carolina. Sixty-four directors returned the questionnaire, for a response rate of 74.4%.

Local public health departments most frequently interacted with boards of health, state agencies, community members, schools, city and county government agencies, and nonprofit agencies. Large majorities reported productive relationships with boards of health, state agencies, city and county government agencies, schools, nonprofit agencies, and hospitals. Greater frequency of interaction with several types of partners was associated with better performance.

While questions exist about whether performance on core functions improves the community's health status, the results suggest that it is important for local public health departments to continue to build relationships with other organizations in the community.