COPAR PROCESS: Assessment of Community Health

Needs

Topic Outline
1.1 Community Assessment
1.2 Purpose of Community Health Needs Assessment
1.3 Steps to Community Health Needs Assessment
1.4 Data to be Included in the Assessment
1.5 Components of Community Health Needs Assessment

Learning Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
1. Discuss community health needs assessment.
2. Identify the components of community needs assessment
3. Explain the importance of community health needs assessment and
4. Identify the methods of data collection.

Introduction
Assessment is the systematic collection and analysis of data culminating in a nursing diagnosis.
It is the initial phase of the nursing process and is identified by professional nurses as the first
standard for professional nursing practice. It is continuous aspect of the nursing process and involves
collaboration with patients, caregivers and health care providers who contribute to the patients’ care.

Overview: Assessment of Community Health Needs

Defined terms:
Needs Assessment
Is a process of looking at many kinds of information about a target group or community? The needs
assessment will include a review of demographics/census data, surveys, and interviews of the
population.

Health Needs Assessment

Is the process of systematically collecting information to enable the practitioner, team and policy
makers to identity, analyze, prioritize and meet the health needs of an individual, family or
population?
Health needs assessment can be done with the individual and family when planning health services
and public health programs to improve the health of the population.

Community Health Needs Assessment

Is a process that describes the state of health of local people., enables the identification of the major
risk factors and causes of ill health and identification of the actions or intervention that are needed. It
is also a way of using information to plan health care and public health programs in the future.

Purpose of Community Health Needs Assessment

CHNA will enable the health practitioners, NGOs, civic-oriented societies, and policy makers to identify
members of the population who need the health care services and resources the most and to ensure
that these resources are used following the rule of equity. It thus becomes a very important process in
the health care planning to identify priority health needs, utilize the internal and external resources of
the community and develop community participation and involvement.

Several Approaches Community Health Needs Assessment

1. Comprehensive needs assessment – the health care practitioner gathers information about the
entire community using a systematic approach where data is collected regarding all aspects of the
community to be able to identify the actual and potential health problems. Is particularly used when
health assessment of a community is being done for the first time.
2. Problem-oriented assessment – is focused on a particular aspect of health.
Tools for Community Assessment
Source of Data
1. Primary data – through observation or riding a vehicle or walking through it.
Collecting Primary Data:
a. observation
b. survey
c. informant interview
d. community forum
e. focus group.
2. Secondary data – vital registries, health records and reports, disease registries, and publications
in print and electronic forms.

Data to be included in the Assessment.

1. Characteristics of the population
2. Health status of the population
3. Local factors affecting health (strengths and weaknesses)

Steps in Community Health Need Assessment

1.Identify and engage stakeholders – identify the population groups to be included in the study.
•Profiling is the collection of relevant information about the state of health and health needs of the
population.
2. Define the community – rural or urban?
3. Collect and analyze data - Analysis of this information enables the practitioner to identify major
health issues.
4. Select priority community health issues – determine which problem is of importance of
community
5. Document and communicate – done through community assembly
6. Plan improvement strategies – encourage all active community members to come together and
identify strategies to reduce or solve health concerns.
7. Implement improvement plan – all community members and the team facilitate the
implementation.
8. Evaluate progress – the team and community evaluate whether the objectives set were
implemented as planned

Components of Community Health Needs Assessment

1. Health status – is the health standing or condition of the population as indicated by the morbidity,
mortality, and fertility rates (MMF)
a. Mortality data – the information generally describes patterns of death in relation to age, gender,
and cause of death.
b. Morbidity data – this information is on the types of illness and disability, their incidence and
prevalence.
c. Behavior measures – these are often used as indicators of health.
d. Quality of life measures – a means of assessing physical health, functional ability, and
psychological wellbeing. The assessment scales are based on an individual’s own assessment.
e. Use of service information – this information gives the account of the morbidity status of the
community, the hospital admissions and use of preventive services like immunization and screening
programs.
f. Health inequalities – most disease and illness patterns are closely associated to economic
circumstances where there is a high rate of death and illness among the poor sectors of society.
2. Health resources – are assets, means, strengths, and skills that are contributory to the promotion
of health and wellbeing that exist within communities to meet the needs of individuals, families, or
social groups. It is important to assess the extent of both types of resource as part of the profile
information.
a. Informal – families deliver the greatest part of all care services in the community.
b. Formal – can be provided at a variety of levels and by many agencies including both health
services and those provided by other sectors that have an impact on health.
3. Health actions potential – action planning is a complex activity and should be undertaken where
the more local people are involved in planning, the more likely that the plan will be accepted and
implemented. There must also be collaboration with others like groups of health care professionals,
workers from other agencies and local people who can serve as potential partners in health planning.

Stages of Action Planning

1. Preparation stage.
2. Agreeing to the aims set by the group.
3. Describing the objectives of the program or project.
4. Detailing the activities needs to meet the objectives.
5. Evaluation of the outcomes.
End of Topic.