Community Priorities for Hospital-Based Prevention Initiatives: Results From a Deliberating Public

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy
• Community Engagement

Background:

• Not-for-profit hospitals must provide community benefit per IRS regulations.
• The Affordable Care Act mandates community health needs assessments involving stakeholders.
• Government initiatives encourage tailored programs responsive to community needs, emphasizing resident input.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement public deliberations exploring local resident priorities for hospital community benefit resource allocation.
• To guide decisions on preventing chronic diseases through community-centered initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Conducted three public deliberations with diverse Brooklyn residents.
• Included expert presentations and participant discussions on health intervention priorities.
• Assessed knowledge and attitudes using pre- and postsurveys and qualitative methods.

Main Results:

• Participants showed significant post-deliberation knowledge gains, especially regarding health education's impact.
• Community-based interventions and policy actions were prioritized over expanding clinical prevention.
• Informed residents advocated for broader health promotion strategies by hospitals.

Conclusions:

• Public deliberation effectively captures informed community views on hospital health promotion.
• Residents support nonclinical approaches to chronic disease prevention, aligning with broader health strategies.
• Hospitals can leverage community benefit resources for impactful, resident-supported initiatives.