Public Health Nursing Practice Exam

When assessing overall health services in a community, what should a case manager focus on?

1. The number of health professionals in the area

2. The variety of services offered

3. Health status trends and service outcomes

4. The availability of emergency services

The correct answer is: Health status trends and service outcomes

Focusing on health status trends and service outcomes during the assessment of overall health services in a community provides a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness and quality of those services. This aspect allows the case manager to identify patterns in the health of the community over time, assess the impact of health interventions, and determine areas that may require improvement or additional resources. By examining trends, the case manager can also gauge whether the services provided are meeting the needs of the population and impacting overall public health positively. While the number of health professionals, the variety of services offered, and the availability of emergency services are all relevant factors in assessing health services, they do not provide as complete a picture of the community's health and service effectiveness as understanding trends and outcomes. These other factors can be important, but they serve more as components of the overall assessment, rather than the core focus when evaluating the success of health services in achieving positive health outcomes for the community.