evident in the workshop presentations means that there will, of necessity, be different approaches to performance monitoring in different places. The committee may want to consider how its proposed performance monitoring system might be tested in a few settings so that refinements based on practical experience could be made before addressing a broader, and perhaps more challenging, audience.

As a result of the discussions throughout the workshop, the committee recognized the critical importance of presenting its ideas in a way that makes them understandable to the variety of audiences that need to participate in efforts to improve community health. A particular concern is ensuring that the phrase “public health” is understood in its broadest sense. As one step toward greater clarity, the committee has changed the name of the study from “Public Health Performance Monitoring” to “Using Performance Monitoring to Improve Community Health.”