Alternate methods for health priority assessment.

Four methods for assessing priorities of health problems were use in a 15-county Appalachian region. Despite overall similarities the tendency is for providers to focus on categorical disease problems while consumers focus more on organization and financing problems. Only one of the methods described, community diagnosis, uses objective data; thus, the health professional must assume an educational role and help consumers use and interpret data. Prioritization of health problems allows for more appropriate use of limited resources.