Community Needs Assessment to Reach Out to an Underserved Population

Abstract

A community-based participatory research project was conducted to identify health information needs of clients (an underserved population) at a homeless shelter. Staff at the shelter, medical students, and public librarians were sought as outreach partners; their needs and challenges in accessing health information resources to serve underserved populations were also assessed. The community needs assessment yielded results that helped shape a medical library's efforts in supporting medical students’ service-learning activities related to humanistic education. The resulting data also informed library decisions on health information education outreach programs tailored to vulnerable, underserved populations and community partners serving the specific populations in the communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Community-based participatory research
• community outreach
• consumer health
• health information literacy
• health sciences libraries
• medical students
• needs assessment
• service-learning
• underserved populations

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Misa Mi

Misa Mi, PhD, MLIS, AHIP ([email protected]) is Associate Professor and Medical Librarian, Medical Library, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, 130 Kresge Library, 2200 North Squirrel Road, Rochester, MI 48309.

Jill Stefaniak

Jill Stefaniak, PhD, CPLP ([email protected]) is Assistant Professor, Department of STEM Education & Professional Studies, 228 Darden College of Education, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529.

Nelia Afonso

Nelia Afonso, MD ([email protected]) is Associate Professor, Director of Art and Practice of Medicine, Assistant Dean for Community Integration & Outreach, William Beaumont Health System, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, 44300 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48314.