Examining Health Problems and Intensity of Need for Care in Family-Focused Community and Public Health Nursing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to advance evidence-based family-focused community and public health nursing (C/PHN) practice by examining 2 important indicators of health need, family health problem labels, and intensity of need for care, and their relationship to each other. The Omaha System (OS; Martin & Scheet, 1992) was the framework used to classify the most common family health problems. Intensity of need for care was determined using the Community Health Intensity Rating Scale (CHIRS; Hays, Sather, & Peters, 1998). Secondary analysis of C/PHN clinical data was done using a descriptive correlational design (n = 205). An investigator scored the CHIRS and assigned OS family problems based on clinical record data. The mean number of family health problems per person was 4.40 (±2.06). The mean CHIRS total score was 33.9 (±6.34). The total number of OSproblems was significantly correlated with CHIRS total scores (r = .586, p < .001). Family problem labels and intensity of need for care both provide essential information for health need determination in C/PHN practice..