Community Assessment and Synthesis Comprehensive Packet
Question Community Assessment and Synthesis Comprehensive PacketBefore a community assessment is begun, one must have a clear understanding of the term community assessment. Performing a community assessment involves getting to know and understand the community as client. Step I – Your selected group members will venture out to your assigned community in Brooklyn Center to conduct an actual Windshield Survey. Prior to actually doing the windshield survey you may want to access databases to get an overview/ most update health status of the community your group were assigned. You may find that data collected from databases (i.e. secondary sources) may not correlate always with what you will actually see during the windshield survey. Census data is always 10 years behind and keep in mind that there is a definite lag in the data found in databases.Phase One: Defining the Community Boundaries /Broad Overview The windshield survey is a data collection method that utilizes a descriptive approach to assess several community components as outlined below by driving or walking through a community. Who is the population within the community that is being assessed? The client must be identified through the following dimensions: place, people, and function. A clear definition must be provided of who is being assessed and where they are located. (I.e. neighborhood within Baltimore). The neighborhood chosen is clearly identified, stating all the boundaries and its specific characteristics? Here are some questions to reflect on as you are out in the neighborhood:1. Who is the specific population that is being assessed?2. What is the role of this population within the community?3. What are the boundaries of this group?4. Does this community exist within a certain neighborhood?5. Are there geographic boundaries that separate this group from others?6. Is the community limited to a specific setting?7. Where is this group located?Strategically think while and prior to selecting your population within Baltimore is assigned1. Why is a community assessment being performed? What purpose will this community assessment being performed serve?2. What data collection methods will be used and are best suited to obtain a thorough assessment of your population selected?Phase Two: Community AssessmentThis phase is the focus and foundation of this project along with formulating nursing diagnoses. The goal of assessment is to collect data and obtain usable information about the defined community and its health. The process of data gathering involves compiling information that already exists. During data generation, information that does not already exist is collected from the community through interaction with community members or groups (i.e. Key informants, interviews, surveys, focus groups). After the necessary data have been gathered and generated, they are analyzed and synthesized so that any significant themes or trends can be identified.Needs assessment The specific needs of this community are clearly stated, using all of the required inclusive variables. What do they need? Why don’t they have it? How can they get it? Needs assessment should not end with the gathering of information; it should at lead to decisions about priorities of needs as well as priorities of action to meet the needs. Health AssessmentThe potential health needs as identified by surveillance data, research findings and screening efforts. A. Data Gathering (collecting information that already exists)The community health nurse plays a significant role in assessment, data interpretation, and problem identification. Steps in the analysis of community assessment data include:Gather collected data into a composite database 2. Assess completeness of data 3. Identify and generate missing data 4. Synthesize data and identify themes 5. Identify community needs and problems. 6. Identify community strengths and resources Demographics of the Community When demographic data are collected, it is useful to collect data from a variety of levels so comparisons can be made. If the population that is being assessed is located within a specific setting, it may be best to contact that agency to retrieve specific information about that population. The following resources provide a broad overview of the demographics of a city, county, or state: American FactFinder – http://factfinder2.census.govFind population, housing, and economic and geographic data for your city based on US Census data.State and County QuickFacts—Easy access to facts about people, business, and geography, based on U.S. Census data: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/Epodunk: The Power of Place—Obtain information from the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census about a specific city or county and links to other useful websites:www.epodunk.com U.S. Census Bureau: www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.htmlInformation From Government AgenciesHealthy People 2020—This resource is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It identifies health improvement goals and objectives for the country to be reached by the year 2010: http://www.healthypeople.gov/ Administration on Aging- http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aoa_programs/oaa/How_To_Find/Agencies/find_agencies.aspxThis is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services. This link provides information on how to find each state’s local agency on aging, which may provide information about the state’s geriatric population. National Center for Health Statistics—This agency is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; this website provides statistical information about the health of Americans:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/Default.htmCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—The CDC website contains a large amount of information related to the health of the American population. The search engine within this website can be used to find relevant information:http://www.cdc.gov Federal agencies with statistical programs: http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies Every state in the United States has its own specific health improvement plan and goals that are based on the Healthy People 2010 document. This information may be available on the state health department website. State and local health departments provide information related to vital statistics for the community.Other Data Sources AssessNow—Developed through a joint project between the Washington State Department of Health and the University of Washington Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, this site contains links to a wide variety of Web resources for all 50 states:http://www.assessnow.info/ America’s Health Rankings—This website provides information about various health indicators for each state:http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/ahr2006/index.htmlOther relevant data sources may be found by conducting an Internet search related to the topic that is being examined through the community assessment. After data are collected from various sources, it is important to review the information and to identify assets and areas for improvement in the community by comparing local data (if available) versus state and national data. This will facilitate organization of the information that has already been obtained and will provide direction for the next step of the process.B. Data Generation (data are developed that do not already exist)• Billboards or other media displays• Places of worship Participant ObservationSpend time observing the population that is being assessed. Through observation of interactions among group members, much can be learned about the community, including the following:• Developmental level of the population• Effectiveness of peer-to-peer interactions• Respect for peers and others• Safety in the environmentInformant InterviewsInformants could be people who are familiar with and interact with the population on a regular basis. You select four key informants (elementary school physical education teacher, park and recreation director, restaurant owner, and church minister) to interview about their perspectives regarding. Examples of questions that may be asked of key informants include the following:• Strengths/assets of the community• Areas of improvement for the community• Concerns of community members• Access to health care Health Science Science Nursing NURSING 352 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)
