Community Health Assessment Tools - PDF

**Community Health Assessment Tools** and highlights various approaches for gathering primary and secondary data to assess a community's health needs, resources, and challenges. **1. Community Assessment Overview** - **Definition**: A **community assessment** identifies the assets, needs, an...

**Community Health Assessment Tools** and highlights various approaches for gathering primary and secondary data to assess a community's health needs, resources, and challenges. **1. Community Assessment Overview** - **Definition**: A **community assessment** identifies the assets, needs, and resources of a community to guide actions that improve community health. - It involves gathering **primary data** from direct sources and **secondary data** from existing records or reports. **2. Primary Data Sources** - **Ocular Survey/ Windshield Survey**: - A rapid observational method conducted by **driving or walking** through the community to assess: - **People** (demographics, behavior) - **Environment** (condition of housing, infrastructure) - **Existing facilities** (availability of health resources) - **Participant Observation**: - Purposeful immersion into community life to observe: - **Formal activities** like **barangay assemblies** or **church meetings**. - **Informal settings** such as **sari-sari stores** or **schools**. - Helps understand community values, norms, priorities, and power structures. - **Surveys**: - Used to collect data when no prior information is available. - Surveys empower the community by making them aware of health problems, encouraging participation, and fostering a sense of ownership. - Types: - **Comprehensive Needs Assessment** (random sampling) - **Problem-Oriented Assessment** (purposive sampling) - **Informant Interviews**: - Interviews with **key informants** (nurses, community leaders) or ordinary members to gather perceptions about health. - Structured or unstructured formats. - **Community Forum**: - Open meetings where people can express their views on health issues, influence decision-makers, and validate secondary data. - **Focus Groups**: - Smaller, homogeneous groups to assess the specific needs of particular population segments. **3. Secondary Data Sources** - **Vital Events Registry**: - Registration of births, marriages, and deaths is mandated by the **Civil Registration Law (Act 3753)** and **Local Government Code (RA 7160)**. - The **PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority)** serves as the central repository for these records. - Birth and death events must be reported within **30 days**, with specific guidelines for who is responsible (facility administrator, attending physician, parents, etc.). - **Health Records and Reports**: - **Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS)**: - A government-mandated system for recording health data at local levels, such as Barangay Health Stations (BHS) or Rural Health Units (RHUs). - Data recorded is used for monitoring health programs, priority setting, and decision-making. - **Target Client Lists**: These are used by health workers to track eligible populations for various health services (prenatal care, family planning, tuberculosis control, etc.). - **Disease Registries**: - Listings of individuals diagnosed with specific diseases for monitoring purposes (e.g., **HIV/AIDS**, **cancer**, **diabetes**). - **Census Data**: - Conducted every **10 years** to provide information on population, employment, family income, etc., which can be used for assessing community health needs. **4. Methods for Presenting Data** - Data is often presented using: - **Bar Graphs**: To compare values across different categories. - **Line Graphs**: To show trends over time. - **Pie Charts**: For percentage distributions. - **Scatter Plots**: To show correlations between two variables. **5. Importance of Health Assessment Tools** - These tools are critical for: - **Planning and decision-making** at various levels (barangay, municipal, district, etc.). - **Monitoring health programs** and evaluating their effectiveness. - **Empowering communities** by involving them in the process of identifying and addressing health needs. The document underlines the **structured and organized approach** necessary to carry out community health assessments, offering detailed procedures and tools for both **qualitative and quantitative** data collection. These methodologies ensure that **health programs** are well-informed, **targeted** to real needs, and continuously evaluated for impact. This toolkit is a valuable guide for **public health practitioners**, community health nurses, and local government units involved in improving public health at the grassroots level.