What is a Needs Assessment?

An introduction

By Jacob Coverstone
Jcoverstone@aao.org I have no financial interest to disclose.

Objectives
Attendees will be able to: Define Needs Assessment Create and utilize an outline for conducting a Needs Assessment Understand types of identified needs Normative Relative Expressed Perceived

When do you conduct a Needs Assessment?

A Needs Assessment takes place before the activity is designed.

Why do you conduct a Needs Assessment?

The purpose of a Needs Assessment is to make decisions regarding priorities for the program. If you conduct a proper Needs Assessment, you will address or support 9 of the 22 Updated Criteria and 3 of 7 Essential Elements [C2, C3, C4, C6, C16, C18, C19, C21, C22, E2.1, E2.2, E2.3]

Needs Assessments are about Evidence

Can you answer:
what evidence do we have that our audience needs this education? what evidence do we have that our solution will yield positive results? what is the reason that we are offering education in this format?

It depends on what the meaning of the word Definitions 1: 'is' is Former President Bill Clinton
Gap Need Want Assessment Needs Assessment

Definitions 1
Gaps
The space between what currently exists and what should exist.

Needs are contributing factors

What needs to be resolved to help close a gap. Needs often relate to barriers

Wants are possible solutions

A proposed means to filling the gap.

Assessment is the evaluation of needs, barriers and resources.

Definitions 1, continued.
Needs Assessment is the process of identifying and measuring areas for improvement in a target audience, and determining the methods to achieve improvement.
So important, it has its own slide.

What goes into a Needs Assessment?

Normative data Evaluations Objectives Opinion Timelines Barriers Resources
What does it take to get your activity off the ground?

So what is a Needs Assessment?

Pre-Assessment

Assessment

Needs Assessment

Action Plan

Phases of a Needs Assessment

Pre-Assessment
Data collection. What do we know?
This is the foundation of Gap Analysis
What is the current state? Where should we be? How does our region compare to others? Whats new? Whats important?

Phases of a Needs Assessment

Assessment
Evaluation of the data What are our barriers?
Both internal and external What Needs have we identified? Are some gaps bigger than others?
Consider both scope and severity

What are our priorities? Do we have the resources to address them? Why do anything at all?

Phases of a Needs Assessment

Action Plan
How are we going to translate what we have into what they need?
Which Needs can we address? How are we overcoming barriers?
List additional barriers hindering progress

Have any areas been identified for follow-up or future opportunities for educational intervention?

Gathering Data
Search for objective measures:
Scope: How many, or what percent, of patients are exposed/vulnerable/expected to suffer from Severity: What are the consequences?
Discomfort? Pain? Blindness?

Are there national standards for treatment?

Can we do better?

Assessment, an example:
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses. - Elwood Blues, The Blues Brothers

It's not what you know, it's how you know it.
Needs (gaps) are identified in 4 ways:
Types of Need
Normative Relative Expressed Perceived

Types of Need
Normative
Defined as falling below a standard criterion established by custom, authority, or general consensus. Strength:
Allows planners to use objective targets

Weakness:
Need levels change with time and must be re-evaluated

Types of Need, cont.

Relative
Measured by the gap between the level of service between similar communities Strength:
Can lead to a priority for distribution of limited resources

Weakness:
Limits resource allocation to under-performing areas

Types of Need, cont.

Expressed
Defined in terms of the number of people who actually have sought help Strength:
Focuses on situations where people have taken action Helps to determine barriers

Weakness:
Not all people with Needs seek help Loss of the bigger picture Misses latent Needs

Types of Need, cont.

Perceived
Defined in terms of what people think their needs are or feel their needs to be Strength:
Easy to come by

Weakness:
Subjective Subject to the Dunning-Kruger effect

Problems must be translated into Needs

Strive to answer all 4 types of Need.
Each type of need paints a different picture of the gap.

Needs are translated into Objectives

But thats another talk

Remember
Want and Need are not synonyms. A Needs Assessment is conducted before the activity is planned. Pre-Assessment is not enough. The more types of need you consider, the richer the planning process and the more effective the education.