# Presentation: 241841

##  Outreach Evaluation Series:Community Assessment

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

## SESSION 2: DEVELOPING A LOCAL ASSESSMENT PLAN

- January 21, 2009

## 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.

## 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?

## Today: Filling in the Puzzle

## 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://](http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/booklets/booklet1/booklet1_blank_worksheet2.pdf)__[nnlm.gov/evaluation/booklets/booklet1/booklet1_blank_worksheet2.pdf](http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/booklets/booklet1/booklet1_blank_worksheet2.pdf)_

## Questionsabout 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

## Collecting Local Information

## Community Resources and Assets

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

## Sources of Local Information

- Chamber of Commerce
- Internet searches
- Newspapers
**Networking**

## 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?

## Events and Facilities

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

## 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

## 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)

## 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?

## Diffusion of Innovation

- Innovators
- Early Adopters
- Early Majority
- Late Majority
- Laggards

## 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?

## 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?

## Stages of Change – Attitude toward “Innovation”

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

## 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!

## Yakima County Example:Creating a local community assessment plan

- Please open
- “Local Data Collection Example”

## Local Data Collection ExampleYakima 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 Washington’s (UW) School of Public Health and Community Medicine.

## 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 health”1

- 1 Keifer, M.  Community health intervention with Yakima agricultural workers.
-   http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/programs/justice/grantees/uw.cfm

## 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.

## 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?

## Homework:Create your local community assessment plan

- Exercise 2