Health Sciences and Medicine - the New Orleans City - Essay Example

Health Sciences and Medicine Chapter Questions 2/2: Planning Your Needs Assessment; Logic models; SMARTobjectives The New Orleans City is one of the areas that has experienced various problems that arise from the 2005 Katrina storm. The city has various needs that can be propagated in the economic, social, and political perspective. The assessment of the attitudes of this population towards different needs determines the effectivity of service provision by the government. Since the devastation of hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has made tremendous effort towards the rebuilding of its infrastructure and assessing the social and health requirements of its population. The determination of the social, educational, and economic needs of the city is vital for its progress. According to the 2013 national census, the city has an estimated population of 378,715 people, which was an increase compared to the 2010 population of 343,829 people. According to the 2009 to 2013 data, the per capita income of the residents in the last 12 months is estimated at $26,500. The median household income in the period is $37,146. The number of people that live below the poverty line is estimated at 27.3%, in the period between 2009 and 2013. The number of people below the age of 5 years as in 2010 was 6.4%. The persons below the age of 18 years are represented as 21.3% and those who are 65 years and over are 10.9%. The percentage of the females as in 2010 was 51.6% and the males are 48.4%. The number of Hispanics in the city was estimated at 5.2% as in 2010. According to the 2010 census, the white people that live in the area are estimated at 33.0%, while the back or African-Americans alone are estimated at 60.2%. The American Indians are 0.3%, while the Asians alone are 2.9%. Individuals who have two or more races are represented by 1.7% of the population. The educational profile is composed of 84.5% of individuals who graduated high school or higher. The individuals with a Bachelor’s degree is estimated at 33.7%. The number of foreign-born individuals is estimated at 5.9%. The percentage of the population that speaks a language other than English is estimated at 9.8%. The population of New Orleans City is likely to have needs that relate to health, poverty, housing and education. According to the census, the home ownership rate is estimated at 47.3%. This value indicates that a majority of the residents do not have their own homes. The housing available is expensive, with a median value of $183,700. About 27.3% of the population live below the poverty lines. This factor has led to the inability to access proper social services such as health and housing. Despite the high population that access the high school or graduate education, most of the people do not further their education to the bachelor’s degree. The racial groups that are in particular focus are the black and the African American population. Despite their high population, they do not access these services in their city. The black owned firms in the city are only 28.9% as in 2007. This value indicates a low level of business ownership which can propagate to low income and high poverty levels. Therefore, the realization of the need for education, health, and housing for the city are the major areas that require to be assessed. 2/10: Implementation planning questions; Quantitative Assessment Methods The stakeholders in the vignette are the commanding officer of the military command of the East Coast. The other stakeholders are the military families, and the national media. Objective 1. To assess the effect of fighting on the emotional capability of the soldiers. Objective 2. To assess the issue of substance abuse and domestic violence in the military families. Objective 3. To assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the military personnel. Key question 1. Does military fighting affect their emotional capability? Key question 2. What is the prevalence of substance abuse and domestic violence in the military families? Key question 3. Does the military fighting’s predispose the military personnel to PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that is common in the current population. The disorder occurs due to the trauma that is experienced during an individual’s prior period of exposure to a traumatic event. An individual experiencing the trauma exhibiting an alteration in conscience that drives them to become self-limiting by altering their normal activities. Kin the military situation, the casualties that are experienced predispose the soldiers to alteration in perception that makes them to engage in activities to handle the trauma. The individuals are likely to become violent or abuse substances to cope with the situation. The resources required include human, financial and physical resources. The human resources will include the personnel that will carry out the needs assessment and the consultants in the field of psychiatry. The other resources required are finances to facilitate transport and data collection. Time resources and mailing services are required to allow for the complete circulation of information. The equipment includes recorders, printing equipment, computers etc. The sociocultural and the sociopolitical issues considered by the CO will include the media requirements, the privacy concerns, and the personal concerns of the military men. Some of the military personnel may not accept to be subjected to the research because they feel that their privacy is invaded. The media on the other hand may distort the information, hence negatively impacting on the military image. The age and titles of the respondents should also be considered. The personnel, higher in the rank may respond differently to those lower in the rank. The image of the military also require to be protected through containing the media. The community sensitivity to the military matter will be in proportion to their literacy levels. Therefore, the literacy aspect of educating the respondents on the assessment is a necessity. 2/17: Program presentations; Quantitative Data Preparation & Statistical Analyses; Exam review Vignette Question 2 The personal and social backgrounds of the mentally ill patients are a lack of belonging that is characterized on both a physical and psychological aspect. The homeless people are mostly poor people who may not afford the cost of housing. They end up obtaining mental illnesses that are associated with a high level of substance abuse and poor health. Substance abuse has been a major cause of mental illness in the homeless people because they consume it without control and to cope with their situation. Some of the homeless people have families but they are unable to live with them because of social neglecting. They end up in the streets in order to survive the harsh family neglecting. Vignette Question 3 Their psychological service needs include social acceptance and psychiatric support. Most of these mentally ill homeless people do not access sufficient support in managing their problem. This arises from the lack of money and adherence to the schedules. They also suffer neglect due to the frequent stigmatization and improper judgment of other people. Item Development Question 1 Quantitative. What is the right age for the beginning of a mentoring program for the adolescents? a) 10 years b) 14 years c) 18 years d) Below 10 years e) Above 18 years Qualitative. In your view, what is the best age to begin a mentoring program for the adolescents? 3/10: Qualitative Assessment Methods Question 1 Key question 1. Quantitative Key question 2. Quantitative Key Question 3. Qualitative Key Question 4. Qualitative Key Question 5. Qualitative Question 2 For key question 1, descriptive analysis will be used. The question is a quantitative data question that can be analyzed by the determination of the proportions, measures of central tendency and correlation coefficients. The measures of central tendencies that can be used include mean, median and modes. The average number of women who have heard of the early childhood program can be obtained and the mean can be used as a measure of analysis. The median and modes can provide the measures of the frequency of appearance and the projected middle value of the women. The key question 2 can be measured by measures of dispersion and coefficient correlations since it requires quantitative data. The measures of dispersion will include means, modes and medians in the values provided. The variances can be calculated from the mean and the standard deviations obtained. The variance can show how the score varies around the mean. Key question 3 will require the inferential statistics for analysis. The inferential statistics will show the variances around the mean, the frequency data, and the correlation coefficients. The representative sample will be used in the determination of the confidence levels of the needs assessment. The probability of occurrence forms a major component of the confidence levels of the data. Key question 4 and 5 will require the inferential statistics and the coefficient correlations. The inferential statistics will provide the probabilities for the understanding of early childhood in the teenage mothers. The coefficient correlations will provide the relationship between these mothers and their own mothers. These values will eventually form a basis of determining the relationship between mothers and children emotional, physical, and mental needs. 3/17: Strategies & Activities Vignette 3. A National Pre-school Preparation Program – How to spend the increased program funding. The most appropriate method for these needs assessment is the secondary data method. I chose this method because the needs assessment covers a large geographical area that might have prior literature concerning the case. The scope of the assessment will have to cover the scope of a nation. This method is appropriate because there exist various sources of information concerning the needs in the national archives. This data from different locations can be accessed and analyzed from the secondary data. The agency also lacks the adequate funds that can be dedicated to the needs assessment. The $5,000 that is provided is inadequate for other forms of assessment methods because it may not be adequate. These funds may not be adequate enough in the acquisition of required results. The time factor is also another consideration. The secondary data method saves time because the information is available in other sources. The data collection personnel will not have to go to the respondents for the answers. Since they lack the time, the use of the secondary data can be effective in the management of the organizational time constraint. 3/24: Qualitative Data Preparation & Analyses Vignette 1 The first process will be the determination of the study focus. The study focus will involve the determination of the goals and objectives of the needs assessment. Then, the data analysis will be planned by coming up with findings that affirm or do not affirm predictions. The analysis will form a basis of informing the stakeholders on how the assessment will be performed. At the point of data collection, methods such as interviews are employed to obtain the various responses. The responses and discussions are recorded while letting the moderators take some points during the interview. The moderators and the staff meet to decide on what they heard and how it potentiates the findings. The moderators provide the impressions and conclusions on their experience in the field. Their information forms the basis of changing or retaining the goals. A review of the moderator and assistant notes is done to obtain the clarity of the goas of the needs assessment. Their notes can also form the basis of analysis of the responses provided and the preparation of a code data. The assistants and moderators ensure that the interviews stay in line with the goals that are to be achieved. Vignette 2 Various indicators can be seen in focus groups to signal a problem with the validity of the data. The group influence on the response of the individual is a major issue with the focus groups. The views of one individual may be reflected to a greater extent than that of other individuals within the group. Other individuals may influence the response of the individuals towards the questions. This can be seen by the persistence convincing of all the individuals by one individual and altering their personal perception. The biases to look for in the interviews will include consistent talking about one individual. This will show that the individual influenced all the decisions of the group towards his personal view. The group mind should also be watched by allowing the personal view of individual to be articulated. The sensitive issues such as politics should not be discussed during the interview. The interview should not also target a specific minority group or social group, since it might distort various information aspects. 4/7: Recruiting; Reporting Question 1 Since the population is broad, the local newspaper can be used to inform that people of the HIV/AIDS testing. The information can also be aired on the local radio to allow the larger population to be notified of the activity. Public posters can be distributed within the region indicating the activity, the venues, and the time required. The social networking is also another method that is effective in seeking the individuals who have access to such media. The direct approach is the most effective because the assessment aims at defining the individual decision-making. Therefore, the impact of the information should be the basis of making decisions concerning the activity. Question 2 The incentives offered to the respondents can include a sense of moral responsibility, goods, and assistance that benefits the respondent. For example, the respondents may be advised on ways of preventing HIV infection, giving them tools to protect themselves from HIV, and counsel the victims. Medications can also be given at the facility to ensure that the established victims access medical care. They can also be educated on the risk factors for HIV. Question 5 The research should provide anonymity and confidentiality of the respondent identity. Anonymity can be ensured by striking the personal details of the respondents from the clinic. The respondent may decide to undertake the tests, but their identities remain hidden. To ensure confidentiality, the respondent forms are locked up and the names and sheets separated. Even on obtaining results, the researcher should not disclose the results of the test. Certificates of confidentiality can also be given to provide a legally binging anonymity and confidentiality agreement. 4/21: SCHOLAR day Question 1 Philip is interested in needs assessment to gauge the major problem that exists in the area. The needs assessment will provide the platform for the making of the decisions concerning the proper initiatives to be taken to alleviate the youth crisis. The needs assessment provides the stakeholders the chance to evaluate and brainstorm on the various issues present. The assessment can also help Philip to access the funds for research. Question 2 The stakeholders are the YMCA, the city, annual community fundraisers, and the Department of Justice. Question 3 1. YMCA 2. The City 3. Department of Justice 4. Annual community fundraisers Question 4 Executive summary – this is a summary of what is to be contained in the report. Introduction – Provides an overview of the issue that is to be discussed in the research. It includes the stakeholders, the team who prepare the report and the overview of the information. Methods and Procedures – the information contained includes the step by step undertakings towards the achievement of the objectives. It also includes the sampling procedures, techniques of gathering information, and the identification of the variables. Results – it includes the data obtained during the data collection. Discussion or Conclusion - This part contains the analysis of the results and data obtained during the research. Recommendations – contains information on the actions that can be implemented to alleviate the needs stipulated. References and Bibliography – these are the sources of information used in the preparation of the report. They include books, journals, internet sources, and videos. Appendices – this is the information that is referred upon in the report, but is not directly in the report. It appears at the end. Work Cited Soriano, Fernando I. Conducting Needs Assessments: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2013. Print. Read More