Description
Comprehensive health and social needs assessment is an essential starting point for the development of any intervention strategy, service development or health improvement programme. The practical ten steps which have developed to assess one of the most complex areas of human behaviour i.e drug use and misuse, are described in this paper. The various quantitative and qualitative approaches appropriate to assess the level of population need for drug interventions (protective, promotive, preventive, treatment, rehabili-tation and care) are highlighted in a step wise practical process.
