SOCW 6311 wk 8 Assignment: Planning a Needs Assessment II

Running Head: ASSESSMENT 1

ASSESSMENT 4

NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF AFRICAN WOMEN’S RISKS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS IN AMERICA

Name of the student

Institution

Instructor’s name

Course

Date

Unmet need and how current information supports the position that a needs assessment is warranted.

The main aim of this need assessment plan is to evaluate the risks of cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure, stroke abnormal heart rhythms, congenital heart diseases, heart attack, and cardiomyopathy among African American Women (Ferrari, 2018). From previous researches, none of them assessed the level of knowledge of cardiovascular awareness among African American women and the evaluation and deploying educational intervention as a result. There is a need to develop new teaching infrastructures, learning and assessing skills that can contribute to educating citizens on awareness of cardiovascular diseases (Ferrari, 2018).

Sources of information that can be used when conducting a needs assessment

This need assessment will be completed through quantitative and qualitative data collection methods through paper surveys, interviews, use of focus groups, and observations. The specific number of African American women from 24-65 years of age will be selected and they will be grouped according to their geographical locality. This will help the researchers to get clear information that will help them in developing charts with sequential information. Focus groups will be used to collect data from the selected groups through group interaction. Citizens will be interviewed on their understanding of cardiovascular disorders, the main factors that contribute to the increase of this disparity, how to prevent it from increasing, and if there is a treatment for this disparity.

Potential informants that would be valuable resources of information

Potential informants that will be valuable for this need assessment will be African American women between the age of 26- 65, caregivers, and other stakeholders. They will be interviewed on what they understand about cardiovascular disorders. What are some examples and symptoms of cardiovascular disorders? They will also be audited to give opinions on whether they know any preventive measures that can prevent the increase of cardiovascular diseases. The provided information will be very important since it will help the researcher to estimate a percentage of people who have a clue of what cardiovascular disorders are and how they can be prevented.

Steps for obtaining credible, unbiased information

Seven steps need to be followed when conducting a need assessment. Following these steps will ensure that needs assessment planning, analysis, and subsequent actions are efficiently and effectively conducted(O'Donnell, n.d.).

Step 1. During this phase, you will have to ask yourself why you are conducting the needs assessment planning and what are you planning to do with the findings you’ll get.

Step 2. Be realistic with your resources and capacity you can devote to need assessment

Step 3. Identify target audience and data resources that will be used in your needs assessment

Step 4. Think widely when conducting summaries on your results

Step 5. Get feedback from audiences such as the community members, funders, or other stakeholders

Step 6. Share your work internally and externally

Step 7. After your need assessment plan, review the original objectives with final results and recommendations.

References

Ferrari, R. (2018). Major unmet needs in the cardiovascular area. Oxford Academic. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from https://academic.oup.com/eurheartjsupp/article/20/suppl_C/C4/4965067.

O'Donnell, E. Seven Steps for Conducting a Successful Needs Assessment. NICHQ - National Institute for Children's Health Quality. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from https://www.nichq.org/insight/seven-steps-conducting-successful-needs-assessment.