Needs Assessment

Methodology

Needs assessment in healthcare refers to systematic approach to identification of unmet

healthcare and health needs of a population, and coming up with plans or changes to meet the

unmet needs (Balcik & Yanıkoğlu, 2020). The setting of this study was Riyadh Saudi Arabia,

conducted among people who were either pre-diabetic, or diagnosed with diabetes type 1 or type

II. This needs assessment sought to find information gaps amongst patients, positively diagnosed

as diabetics or pre-diabetics. The researcher prepared a questionnaire for needs assessment.

Before administering the questionnaire, the researcher conducted a test run of the questionnaire

on 5 respondents to determine if the questionnaire was comprehensible. After feedback from the

5 test respondents, the researcher modified the questionnaire according to the feedback.

The researcher used a mixed methods approach with a single standardized qualitative

questionnaire, to come up with findings for the needs of the patients. The questionnaire included

socio-demographic information such as gender, age, education level, and occupation. The

questionnaire included 66 structured questions, which each of the 25 participants were expected

to answer. Data coding in the questionnaire focused on qualitative measures like emotions of the

patients, professional seeking of diagnosis, emotional support, medical support, hinderances to

care, social support, financial capability, diabetes knowledge, dietary information knowledge i.e

if the patients understood healthy living, the disease burden, comorbidities, patient roles in

disease furtherance like drinking, and hospitalization frequencies, i.e health profile of patients.

The researcher also focused on quantitative measures like health beliefs of diabetes, self-efficacy

of patients, diabetes knowledge of the patients, safety/health ratings, amount of pain experienced

by patients, frequencies of meals, hospital visits, blood pressure checks, and foot care.
Summary of Findings

Respondents to the questionnaire demonstrated low level of awareness on the importance

of checking blood pressure and exercise. Threat levels among the respondents at home were

relatively high. The respondents showed low self-efficacy in personal care. There was also low

knowledge on importance of visiting primary healthcare providers. There was however a high

level of self-efficacy on dietary adjustment. Even though the patients had high efficacy on

dietary adjustment, dietary knowledge was relatively poor among the patients. Patients expressed

high rate of negative emotions, and occasioned, which reflected a high level of depression and

anxiety most likely related to their conditions.

Patients had overall negative assessment of their conditions hindering adaptation to

optimal care. Social support was limited amongst the respondents. Most of the respondents

tended to stay away from hospital unless when they required serious attention from the

emergency room. Access to medical services was low because of low incomes, and poor

information on the import of primary care. Personal care was quite low because patients did not

have adequate information on essence of footcare, regular check of blood glucose, and change of

lifestyle. There was major confusion concerning what constituted healthy diet and the

importance of accessible, and comprehensive diabetes education, which is important to achieving

optimal glycemic control, to prevent diabetic complications as well as retinopathy related to

diabetes. High depression and anxiety amongst the respondents alongside low self-efficacy in

self-care may lead to negative impact on diabetic patients seeking primary care for screening.

Findings from this needs assessment will culminate in planning and delivery of a comprehensive

healthcare support for people living with diabetes in Riyadh. The resulting patient education will
help the patients with educational resources, to enable screening for comorbidities, and

development of a diabetic care database to offer continuity in care and education.

 Reference

Balcik, B., & Yanıkoğlu, İ. (2020). A robust optimization approach for humanitarian needs

assessment planning under travel time uncertainty. European Journal of Operational

Research, 282(1), 40-57.
 Appendix

Diabetes Needs Assessment Questionnaire

This questionnaire asks questions about diabetes in preparation for diabetes health education.

When you answer these questions, you will be giving out very important information that will

inform diabetes care in our community. Please answer as many questions as possible so we may

have the clearest picture possible of your experience or knowledge of diabetes. Filling this form

should only take a maximum of 10 minutes.

Personal Information

 Mr.  Mrs.  Ms.  Dr.

Your First Name______________________ Your Middle Name

______________________

Your Last Name ______________________

Your Address ______________________________________________________________

Your city_____________________ Your State ______________

Your contact ______________________

Demographics

Your Date of Birth _______________  Male  Female

Race__________________________________________

Occupation_____________________________________

Your Highest Education Achievement

 8th Grade or less  Some High School  High School Graduate /GED

 Some College  College Degree (BA/BS)  Graduate Degree

Health Questions

1. What type of diabetes have you been diagnosed?

 Type 1  Gestational  Other

 Type 2  Pre-diabetes  Do not know  None

2. What was the year of your diabetes diagnosis? __________

3. Do you actively monitor blood sugar?  Yes  No

If yes. How many times a day? ________________

4. Do you know about a test called Urine Ketone test?  Yes  No

If yes, do you carry this test and how often? ________________________

5. In recent times, have you registered high blood sugar?

 Yes  No  Not sure/don’t know

If yes, what is the frequency? _____________

What is your blood sugar value? _____________

 What are the symptoms and what action did you take?

______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

6. Have you recently experienced low blood sugar?

 Yes  No  Not sure/don’t know

If yes, what is the frequency? _____________

What is your blood sugar value? _____________

What are the symptoms and what action did you take?

____________________________________________________________________

7. Select from this list what prevents you from taking care of you taking care of yourself

 Transport cost/challenge Poor Support Network

 Work  Caregiver

 Food  Other

8. Among the following, what challenge do you face?  Sight  Reading

 Physical problems  Hearing  Writing

9. Overall, how do you feel about your health? __________________________

_____________________________________________

10. Any lasting pain?  Yes  No (If no, skip to question15)

11. What part of the body has endless pain?

_______________________________________

12. How long have you been in this kind of pain?  Weeks  Months  Years

13. Have you ever visited a doctor for this pain?  Yes  No

If you have, what treatment were you given?

_______________________________________

14. In the scale below, tick the appropriate box to rate your pain

Little pain 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Extreme pain

         

15. Do you have any allergies? ___________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

16. Ever gotten depression diagnosis?  Yes  No

17. From the list below, choose, what has stressed you over the past 2 weeks.

I have no interest in doing anything

 Not affected  Many days  More than half the days  Almost daily
 Feeling hopeless, depressed or down

 Not affected  Many days  More than half the days  Almost daily

18. Ever had a coronary artery disease?  Yes  No

19. Ever had a Heart Attack?  Yes  No

20. Ever had a High Cholesterol diagnosis?  Yes  No

21. Ever had a High Blood Pressure diagnosis?  Yes  No

22. Ever suffered a transient ischemic attack/stroke?  Yes  No

23. Ever had a diagnosis of Peripheral Vascular Disease (poor leg circulation)?

 Yes  No If yes, is your leg amputated?  Yes  No

24. Ever had a diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy affecting the nerves?  Yes  No

25. Dou you have albumin or protein in your urine?  Yes  No  I Don’t know

26. Have you had a diagnosis of kidney disease or neuropathy?  Yes  No

If yes, have you ever had kidney transplant?  Yes  No

 Are undergoing dialysis?  Yes  No

27. Have you had a diagnosis of retinopathy or diabetes affected your eyes? Yes  No

If positive, have you had the following?

Got medical laser treatments for the eye related to diabetic problems  Yes  No

You have cataracts of the eyes  Yes  No

Either one or both of your eyes are blind  Yes  No

28. This month, have you fallen down?  Yes  No (Skip to question 31 if you haven’t)

29.

30. How many times did you fall this month? ______________

31. How did you fall, and were you hurt? Describe ______________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

32. Please specify if you have any other health/medical conditions; ___________________

_____________________________________________________________________

33. Are you a user of tobacco?  Yes  No  I Quit (Skip to question 37 if you don’t)

34. What kind do you use?  Pipe  Cigars  Cigarettes  Chewed  Snuffed

35. What quantity of tobacco do you use daily? _________________

36. Have you ever tried counselling?  I was Referred  I declined

37. If you quit, how long ago was it? Specify________________

38. Do you drink alcohol?  Yes  No  I Quit

39. How often do you drink alcohol?  Weekly  Socially, a few times monthly

40. What quantity of alcohol do you use? Specify_______________

41. Id you quit, how long ago was it? _____________________years

42. Who do you live with?

 Alone  Only with my children

 With my partner/spouse  only with my parents

 With my spouse and children  with family and friends

Other ________________________________________________________________

43. Who primarily assists you with your diabetes case?

 Myself  My Spouse My
 Children  My parents 

Caregiver/others_________________
  None of the mentioned applies

44. Do you have enough finances to help you care for your diabetes condition?

 Yes  No  Not sure

45. Do you have access to emotional support for diabetes?

 Yes  No  Not sure

46. What majorly stresses you? _____________________________

____________________________________________________________________

47. What is your stress coping mechanism?

_________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

48. Do you have any sources of threat/stress?  Home  Work  School (select all that apply)

49. How do you rate your safety from threat/stress?

Vert unsafe 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Very safe

         

50. Have ever had diabetes education previously?  Yes  No  Don’t know

What was the date? Month_______ Day ____Year_____

51. Where did you get educated? _____________________________

52. In the past year, have you been admitted to a hospital ward?  Yes  No

How many times in the past one year? _________

How many days did you spend in the hospital in the past one year? ________

Specific reasons for admission? __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

53. Have you visited the emergency room in the past one year?  Yes  No

In the same period, how many times have you visited the emergency room?

______________

Reasons you visited the emergency room in the past one year?

_________________________________________

54. Have you visited a primary care specialist in the past one year?  Yes  No

How many times in the past one year? __________

What were the reasons for the visit? _____________________________________

55. Have you visited other specialists in the past one year?  Yes  No

How many times have the visits been? ____________

 What were the reasons for the visits?

________________________________________________

56. Did you change your diet once you discovered you had diabetes?

 Yes  No  Not sure

If you have, how does your diet look?

 Eating less  More vegetables in diet  Eating less sugar

 Reduced fat  Quit sugary drinks and soda

57. What is your frequency of eating?

 Once  Twice  Thrice  More than thrice

58. Which of these do you not eat?  Breakfast  Lunch  Dinner  I don’t skip

meals

59. Who prepares your meals?

 Myself  My Partner/Spouse  specify

Others________________________________

60. Do you ever eat out? ____ (Enter 0 if you don’t eat more than once).

61. Do have special diet needs?  Yes  No

_____________________________________________________________
62. Does your religion prescribe meal restrictions or needs you to fast?

 Yes  No ________________________________________________

63. Do you perform any exercise?  Yes  No (If you don’t, skip to number 65)

64. What exercise do you perform?

 Jogging  Riding bike

 Running  Play golf  Aerobics

 Walking  Sports  Weight training/ Strength training

 Dancing  None  specify other ____________________________

65. In an ordinary week:

How many times a week do you exercise? _________________________________

How long does each exercise last? ________________________

66. Do you ever examine your feet if so, in what frequency? Choose one option:

 Day-to-day  Only once a month

 A Few times in a week

 Only once a week  I don’t examine

 A few times in a month