Table 2.
Number of local health departments (LHDs) with complete data for each Essential Public Health Service (EPHS)a activity and median score for each EPHS, 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments Survey (n = 2000), United Statesb
| EPHS |
Sample Size,
No. (%) (n = 2000) |
LHDs That Performed No EPHS Activities, No. (%) |
LHDs That Performed All EPHS Activities,
No. (%) |
Median Scorec (IQR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems. | 1834 (91.7) | 32 (1.7) | 178 (9.7) | 63.5 (46.1-80.9) |
| 2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community. | 1467 (73.4) | 91 (6.2) | 71 (4.8) | 42.0 (28.1-72.0) |
| 3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues. | 1836 (91.8) | 108 (5.9) | 76 (4.1) | 41.1 (17.9-66.6) |
| 4. Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems. | 451 (22.6) | 1 (0.2) | 7 (1.6) | 65.4 (53.7-77.5) |
| 5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts. | 1832 (91.6) | 86 (4.7) | 89 (4.9) | 58.7 (26.9-81.7) |
| 6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety. | 1796 (89.8) | 151 (8.4) | 18 (1.0) | 42.0 (23.8-58.7) |
| 7. Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable. | 1767 (88.4) | 80 (4.5) | 1 (0.1) | 48.2 (34.1-58.7) |
| 8. Assure competent public and personal health care workforce. | 470 (23.5) | 347 (73.8) | 29 (6.2) | 0 (0-22.9) |
| 9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services. | 473 (23.7) | 53 (11.2) | 7 (1.5) | 29.7 (12.2-55.7) |
| 10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems. | 463 (23.2) | 183 (39.5) | 21 (4.5) | 10.6 (0-23.8) |
Abbreviation: IQR, interquartile range.
a Data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.4
b Data source: National Association of County and City Health Officials.6
c Distribution of health department scores ranging from 0 to 100, with 0 representing no activities performed and 100 representing all activities performed.