Horizontal synthetic estimation: a strategy for estimating small area health related characteristics

It would be difficult to overestimate the general importance of relevant, detailed and timely small area data for health planning and research. However, the requisites of relevance, detail and timeliness are difficult — in some cases impossible — to satisfy. In the following discussion we sketch an approach for providing small area data useful for health planners. At this time our major concern is a comprehensive approach to estimates for small areas. The particular models and estimation procedures which we will present are adopted primarily for their heuristic value. They provide a convenient and not overly complex means of discussing important aspects of a comprehensive approach to small area estimation. Our objective is to delineate in a constructive fashion the broad parameters of a comprehensive approach to the estimation of health related small area data.