Outreach Evaluation Series: Community Assessment

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Outreach Evaluation SeriesCommunity Assessment

• National Network of Libraries of Medicine
• Outreach Evaluation Resource Center
• and the NN/LM PNR RML Rendezvous
• January 14, 21, and 28, 2009

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Session 2 developing a Local assessment plan

• January 21, 2009

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Quiz Review from Last Week

• True or False?
• The way to begin a community assessment is to do
  a survey.
• Substantial information about US communities is
  available from public sources.
• Everything you need to know about your community
  is available from public sources.
• Assessment information can guide your planning
  and support your case.

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Discussion Your County Profile

• What were your favorite sources?
• Were there any surprises?
• What are some questions that you could not
  answer with existing data?

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Today Filling in the Puzzle
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Learn More about Your Community
Planning and Evaluating Health Information
Outreach Projects Booklet 1 Getting Started
with Community-Based Outreach (p.16) Worksheet
2 http//nnlm.gov/evaluation/booklets/booklet1/bo
oklet1_blank_worksheet2.pdf
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Questionsabout Your Community

• Who are the primary contacts?
• Resources and assets
• Current status of health information access
• Current status of computer experience
• Level of computer access
• Other aspects of the community that might affect
  the outreach project

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Collecting Local Information
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Community Resources and Assets

• Sources of Local Information
• Attitudes and Behaviors
• Events and Facilities
• People and Groups

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Sources of Local Information

• Chamber of Commerce
• Internet searches
• Newspapers
• Networking

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Attitudes and Behaviors

• What resources do people currently use for health
  information?
• What is their opinion of the information they
  receive?
• How much do they use computers and the Internet?

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Events and Facilities

• Health fairs and other community gatherings
• Educational activities that can incorporate
  health information
• Community training facilities

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People and Groups

• Community leaders
• Health coalitions and partnerships
• Libraries that serve the public
• Health care organizations
• Nonprofit agencies
• Churches
• Businesses
• Lay health advisor programs
• Key informants

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Key Informants
People who have specialized knowledge and unique
perspectives about the community of interest.
Find them through

• Networking
• Groups and organizations
• Recommendations (you can ask key informants to
  suggest other key informants)

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Qualities of Good Key Informants

• Opinion leaders in the community
• (the people who can get things done)
• Innovators and early adopters who in the
  community needs your information?

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Diffusion of Innovation

• Innovators
• Early Adopters
• Early Majority
• Late Majority
• Laggards

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Innovators and Early Adopters

• Who in the community needs better access to
  health information resources ?
• Who has had habits or experiences that prepared
  them for using this resource?
• Who seems most motivated to learn to use the
  resources?

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Innovators and Early Adopters

• Who in the community has experience with and
  access to technology?
• Who is most likely to see tangible results from
  using the technology?

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Stages of Change Attitude toward Innovation

• Stages of change
• Pre-contemplation
• Contemplation
• Preparation
• Action
• Maintenance

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Partnerships

• Partner organizations time, financial support,
  and other resources
• What resources are available in the partners
  organization to support health information
  outreach?
• Are there any anticipated resources that can be
  leveraged? (e.g., grant funding)
• Get it in writing!

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Yakima County ExampleCreating a local
community assessment plan

• Please open
• Local Data Collection Example

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Local Data Collection ExampleYakima County

• El Proyecto Bienestar is an effort to identify
  and address the occupational and environmental
  health issues of concern for Hispanic farm
  workers and their families in the Yakima Valley,
  Washington. 
• The four partners in the project are the Yakima
  Valley Farm Workers Clinic, Northwest Communities
  Education Center/Radio KDNA, Heritage University
  and the University of Washingtons (UW) School of
  Public Health and Community Medicine.

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Partner Profile (part one)

• This is the information you currently have about
  your community-based partner
• Key initiative A pilot project to find the best
  method of communicating health information to the
  Hispanic agricultural worker population.
• Primary goal Create opportunities and
  mechanisms for this community to understand and
  actively participate in decision-making related
  to their occupational and environmental health1

1 Keifer, M. Community health intervention with
Yakima agricultural workers.
http//www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/progra
ms/justice/grantees/uw.cfm
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Partner Profile (part two)

• This is the information you currently have about
  your community-based partner
• Target community Hispanic agricultural workers
  in Yakima County, both the resident and seasonal
  migrant workers.
• Key resource Spanish-speaking students in
  ConneX, a health care opportunity program for
  middle school, high school and college students.
  It is run by the Northwest Community Action
  Center, one of the partners in El Proyecto
  Bienestar.

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Plan for Collecting Local Data

• What existing data might the community you are
  planning to work with have that might be helpful?
  What information will you seek?
• What interviews would you like to have for your
  community assessment? (Specify individual, focus
  group or large group/public forums) What
  information will you seek?
• What information would you collect using a
  survey? Who would you like to survey?

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HomeworkCreate your local community
assessment plan

• Exercise 2