NJ Pine Barrens Maritime-Culture-Landscape 1 1 2024

Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH)
In 1985, the Center for Disease Control along with State health departments, local health departments and community groups developed PATCH, a widely
recognized, effective model for planning, conducting and evaluating community health programs, as part of a healthy community.
• The Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) is a model for grass-root planning, conducting, and evaluating
community health promotion and disease prevention programs. The benefits of using PATCH include:
• Community involvement: PATCH encourages community members to participate in the planning and
implementation of health promotion programs, which can help increase the effectiveness of these programs.
• Tailored interventions: PATCH emphasizes the importance of tailoring community based health promotion
interventions to the specific needs and characteristics of the community.
• Evidence-based strategies: PATCH promotes the use of evidence-based strategies for enhanced public access, health
promotion and disease prevention, which have been shown to be effective in improving health outcomes.
• Collaboration: PATCH encourages collaboration among individuals, community organizations, health care providers,
and other stakeholders to improve the coordination and delivery of health promotion programs.
• Evaluation: PATCH emphasizes the importance of evaluating community programs to determine their effectiveness
and identify areas for improvement.
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