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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Community Measures and Mapping Tools

There are numerous community measures and mapping tools that programs can use to understand the social determinants of health (SDOH) within local communities. These measures, indices, and mapping tools can provide insights beyond individual-level data. Community measures involve collecting data on broad factors, often linked to SDOH. Mapping tools allow for the visualization of these data. These tools can help programs to identify, highlight, and visualize the potential impacts of SDOH within rural communities.

Examples of community measures, indices, and mapping tools for SDOH include:

  • Assessment for Advancing Community Transformation (AACT) – The AACT is a tool developed in collaboration by 100 Million Healthier Lives/Institute for Healthcare Improvement, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, and the Georgia Health Policy Center. The tool is designed to assess collaborative efforts towards and opportunities for health improvements in a community.
  • Area Deprivation Index (ADI) – Based on a measure created by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), the ADI accounts for income, education, employment, and housing quality at the neighborhood level. The ADI was adapted by the research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and allows users to rank neighborhoods by socioeconomic status at the geographic (state or national) level.
  • Healthiest Communities – The 2024 Healthiest Community rankings provide a breakdown of the top 100 rural, high-performing communities. Identified by experts through a collaboration between U.S. News & World Report and the Aetna Foundation, cities are assessed based on the following categories: health, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality, and infrastructure. The platform includes an interactive Data Explorer for users to further explore data and trends.
  • Opportunity Index – Developed by Opportunity Nation and Child Trends, the Opportunity Index uniquely combines national-, state-, and county-level indicators to show opportunities for improvement. The indicators are grouped in four domains: economy, education, health, and community. The index employs a unique formula to provide users with a big-picture view and localized perspective on the conditions influencing their neighborhood.
  • Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) provides information about 15 social factors at the census tract level, including measures related to poverty and housing. It combines these variables into an overall measure of social vulnerability and includes a series of maps to visualize the SVI.

Resources to Learn More

familydoctor.org Neighborhood Navigator
Website
Connects users to community resources and programs in their neighborhood. Highlights local services related to SDOH such as food, housing, transportation, employment, education, legal aid, and more. Shares additional tools and resources, from the American Academy of Family Physicians, to help address SDOH among patients.
Organization(s): American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation