What is asset mapping and how is it used in community health planning?

• A. Systematically identifying local assets (organizations, people, resources) to leverage for health interventions
• B. Creating a map of disease clusters to target interventions
• C. Listing individual patient assets in electronic health records
• D. Assessing hospital bed availability across neighborhoods

Answer: (A)

Asset mapping is the systematic identification of local assets—organizations, programs, services, and people with skills or influence—that can support health goals. In community health planning, this approach helps you see what resources already exist and how to mobilize them, rather than starting from problems alone. By engaging community members, you compile an inventory that can include neighborhood organizations, faith groups, schools, clinics, libraries, transportation services, volunteers, and trusted local leaders. The map then guides partnership development and resource use: you can pair health interventions with existing assets, tap into trusted networks for outreach, share responsibilities, and sustain efforts after external funding ends. It also highlights gaps where assets are missing or underutilized, informing strategies to build capacity or recruit new partners.

This approach differs from mapping disease patterns to target interventions, which focuses on where health problems occur rather than what resources are available. It also isn’t about listing individual patient assets in electronic records or monitoring hospital bed capacity; those are more about clinical data or health system capacity, not community-wide resources and relationships.