Community Health Needs Assessment: A platform for promoting community-university partnerships and research to improve community health and wellbeing

Internationally, there is an increasing emphasis on the importance of engaging with communities in order to guide and develop relevant health policy and services. Evidence suggests that community participation and involvement in the process of health research has many significant benefits. One example of community engaged health research is the process of Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Community Health Needs Assessment provides an ideal platform for universities, local governments and their communities to partner together to better understand the health and wellbeing needs and priorities of populations. While Local Governments in Australia often have clear strategic directions based upon a continuing dialogue and engagement with the populations they represent, they simultaneously often lack the capacity and time to conduct comprehensive community engaged research from which to develop important strategies and actions. This paper draws on the experiences and reflections of the Tasmanian University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) and its partnership with five Tasmanian communities, their local governments and health services. It provides insight and reflection into how universities can be partners in inclusive community engaged research and collaboration through CHNA, and outlines the key processes and methods that inform this process.