A Multilevel Model of Health: The Rural Health Systems Model

In exploring multilevel models of health I came across the Canadian Institute of Health Information's (CIHI) Rural Health Systems Model (CIHI, 2021):

The model (CIHI, 2021) serves as a guide for collecting and assessing qualitative and quantitative information about key factors that impact the health needs of rural regions along with a region's overall health, health system use, and health system performance. According to CIHI (2021), the model can be used to:

• Determine what contributes to performance differences between rural communities

• Identify health system comparators and benchmarks

• Inform planning and decision making

• Improve health and health care in rural regions

I chose the Rural Health Systems Model because of its relevance to me. For the past ten years I have lived and worked in three rural communities across north western British Columbia (B.C.). Living and working in rural B.C., I have experienced rural health services as a patient, a health care provider and as a health sector stakeholder. For assignment number two I will be applying the model to long term care service delivery in B.C.'s Northern Health Authority; more specifically, to the quality of long term care service delivery in the health region. Resources that I anticipate drawing from for this exercise include CIHI, Stats Canada, Northern Health Authority, along with relevant literature on rural health.

References

Canadian Institute for Health Information (n.d.). Rural Health Systems Model Visualization.

Retrieved October 21, 2021 from Rural Health Systems Model visualization | CIHI