The North West Public Health Observatory recommends P² People & Places for assessing health needs
The Beacon Dodsworth geodemographic classification, P² People & Places, has been recommended by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO) for the systematic segmentation of the North West population across a wide variety of health conditions.
In the December 2006 issue of Synthesis, the NWPHO provides guidance on what local healthcare agencies should look for when selecting a geodemographic classification for use within a geographic information system (GIS). They announce "P² People & Places provides a greater level of discrimination by deprivation, and possibly other demographic and social measures, than other geodemographic classification systems."
Earlier in 2006, the NWPHO published Where Wealth Means Health, reporting the results of their extensive analysis of health inequalities. They used P² People & Places within a geographic information system (GIS) to identify and map small areas in the North West that are likely to experience health problems, thus assess the variation in healthcare needs and inequalities across the population.
The Where Wealth Means Health report, explains their findings, in particular how different datasets, such as the prevalence of mental health conditions and the incidence of alcohol specific conditions, analysed by P² People & Places can assist in the targeting of particular areas and population groups.
P² People & Places is built at output area level using 2001 Census data, but was redesigned for the NWPHO at lower super output area (LSOA) to incorporate the changes in small area populations updated since 2001, thus providing a greater level of accuracy for analysis. Beacon Dodsworth are now offering this dataset free of charge to registered NHS bodies so that health inequalities such as those highlighted in the NWPHO report can be discovered and remedied.
For more details on P² People & Places call 01904 701020 or try it free of charge at www.p2peopleandplaces.co.uk.