Instructions

Community health assessments are used by health planners to identify, and prioritize health problems within a given community. To prioritize health programs and their development, a needs assessment is used. There are four types of needs that should be considered in a needs assessment. Although there is no single way to conduct a needs assessment, the basic steps to conducting a needs assessment can be identified.

Using the Internet, research about needs assessments and the types of health needs in your community. Based on your research, create a 4- to 5-page Microsoft Word document that:

• Describes the four types of needs and compares them. Explains the interaction of the four types and the role of each type of need in the community assessment process.
• Selects one of the four needs and provides an example of how this need can be applied to a health issue in your community. Describes the potential pitfalls of focusing a needs assessment on a single need. Provides examples to support your assertions.
• Identifies and describes the basic steps of conducting a needs assessment and also explains the importance of each.
• Describes any additional steps that should be considered in the assessment process.

Submission Details:

• Cite any sources in APA format. Requires an introduction, headings, conclusion, references and must be under 25% similarity report.

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PHE4055 Public Health Planning and Evaluation

© 2013 South University

Community Health Needs Major Approaches

When assessing the health needs of a community, there are five major approaches or models that can be used.
Each model has its own strengths and limitations.

Epidemiological Model

The epidemiological model is used for measuring health problems using epidemiological methods and statistics.

Data sources include registries, national data sets, and national surveys from the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Public Health Model

The public health model focuses on measuring health problems for the purpose of prioritizing the health problems
that have been identified by the community. Data sources include vital statistics and data collected by state and

local health departments.

Social Model

The social model emphasizes measuring the determinants of health, such as the social and economic status of
individuals within a community. Data sources include individual and national surveys.

Asset Model

Rather than focusing on the limitations, deficits, and needs within a community, the asset model concentrates on
the strengths, assets, and resources that are available to a community. Data sources include maps of the

community and information from focus group interviews.

Rapid-Response Model

The rapid-response model for needs assessment is used when expediency is the most important consideration for
an assessment. This model employs instruments from a number of different models, including surveys, focus
groups, and mapping.