Listening to local voices: adapting rapid appraisal to assess health and social needs in general practice

Objectives : To explore the use of rapid appraisal in defining the health and social needs of a community and to formulate joint action plans between the residents and service providers. Design : Collection of data by an extended primary care team from three sources: existing documents about the neighbourhood, interviews with a range of informants, and direct observations to build a profile of the community. Setting : Council estate of 670 homes in Edinburgh. Main outcome measures - Perceived problems of the community and suggestions for change. Results : The interviews and focus groups identified six priorities for change, many of which were not health related. These changes have been or are being implemented. Conclusions : An expanded primary care team can use rapid appraisal as a first step in identifying and meeting local health needs. It facilitates a multi-disciplinary approach and complements quantitative methods of assessing need.