The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) showcases how an equity-centered, technology‑enabled Community Health Assessment (CHA) can elevate community voice, strengthen data integration, and produce actionable insights to guide health improvement planning. Following the MAPP 2.0 framework, DDPHE redesigned its CHA to prioritize community empowerment, strengthen analysis, and enhance accessibility while emphasizing how social determinants of health (SDOH) shape conditions.
First, DDPHE recruited Denver partner organizations and residents who supported the CHA on several unique steering and advisory committees. These committees informed research design, co-developed focus group protocols, and interpreted data analyses. Next, DDPHE leveraged ArcGIS Online tools in two ways. Survey123 supported a citywide survey with more than 2,200 responses with geolocation data, enabling qualitative input to be linked to neighborhood-level SDOH indicators. Second, publishing the CHA as a StoryMap transformed it into an interactive narrative, improving usability and appeal.
DDPHE also piloted an innovative qualitative analysis by comparing manual coding of 10 focus groups with an AI tool using a large language model. Manual coding yielded rich, descriptive data for the CHA. Some differences were revealed when compared to the AI-generated output. However, results confirmed AI’s strong potential, particularly since the tool required minimal fine-tuning and reduced staff time. Thus, a "human-in-the-loop" approach emerged as a promising solution for resource-constrained departments.
Lastly, a structured data triangulation session integrated survey results, focus group themes, and more than 100 quantitative indicators. Partners and residents assessed disparities, identified opportunities for health improvement, and generated ten health priority areas.
Overall, DDPHE’s approach shows how aligning MAPP 2.0 with geospatial and AI tools can create a more equitable, engaging, and actionable CHA, and offers a replicable model for other public health jurisdictions.
An hour session is needed to ensure attendees leave with adaptable strategies they can apply in their own departments.
