What is assessment?

The Institute of Medicine's report on The Future of Public Health identified assessment, policy development, and assurance as core functions of public health. Assessment is a process whereby public health agencies identify health problems, identify health resources and evaluate their effectiveness, and present the results of these analyses to decision makers. These efforts are carried out through a division of labor among local, state, and federal agencies. The responsibility for assessment extends to all areas of the country and to every area of public health: from infectious diseases to chronic conditions, from behavioral risks to environmental hazards, and from motor vehicles to hand guns.