Community Health Needs Assessment Tools

Community Health Needs Assessment Tools

The research need to generate qualitative and quantitative data regarding a particular community health need is directly proportionate to the impact that the particular health need has on the community and sometimes even the mortality/morbidity generated by the particular health problem. In this regard, in this current assessment we review the health needs of coal mining workers in West Virginia, USA to identify hazards and risk factors pertaining to their health, by virtue of their designated profession.

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Community health needs assessment is a rigorous project that serves the population under study by elucidating the current needs, reflecting the situation which is often not balanced between health providers, insurance schemes, health administration and/or community leaders. It also serves at identifying particular needs that are overlooked by healthcare officials that are either novel or problematical by elucidating perceived and expressed health and wellbeing needs. In other words, it can be a useful means to depict the selected community’s horizon in respect to health needs, healthcare shortfalls and aetiology, all useful areas for the facilitation of better public health management.

In order to perform an accurate community health needs assessment, research should be grounded on an up to date background study of the selected population’s demographics and census (socioeconomic, workforce and other) data, where available. Moreover, particular health factors should be taken into account by managing information currently disseminated through healthcare officials (such as mortality, disease prevalence, risk factors analysis).

This research would also benefit from an on-site review of environmental and work related conditions, if possible.

The most useful and widely used instrument to conduct a community health needs assessment and subsequent analysis is by means of a structured questionnaire based survey that will employ cross sectional and population specific items targeted at the current health need. Moreover, the instrument should be designed with attention to environment and state specific conditions, such as regulations and laws, insurance coverage and even so, local traditions and unwritten codes of conduct.

For the above reasons, in this essay we will conduct a review of available information on the community of Coal Mining Workers in West Virginia, USA. After the acquisition and analysis of the pertaining data, we will present a structured survey instrument, aiming to identify health needs with respect to existing health problems and patient satisfaction.

BACKGROUND-RESEARCH

We searched a wide array of online databases and organisations providing demographic and other information for the population in question. We also conducted a MEDLINE search, to draw the picture of already identified health needs and/or needs assessments already conducted in this population. Search terms employed were “coal workers”, “west Virginia”, “health needs”, “pneumoconiosis’, “interstitial lung disease”, “occupational hazard” alone or in combination.

West Virginia is a state in the Mid-Atlantic section of the USA, capital Charleston. The state is notorious for its mountain composition and significant coal mining industries. The mineral and coal resources in the area are vast, and West Virginia has been considered to have fuelled a great part of the industrial revolution of the developed world. Moreover, coal mining and related work constituted major part of the employment activities of the state, while still in the 21st century, it is believed that mining safety and environmental concerns are amongst the most challenging issues facing the state.

In 2009, West Virginia was inhabited by 1,819,777 people. 5.6% of West Virginia’s population were reported as under 5, 22.3% under 18, and 15.3% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population (United States Census Bureau, 2010). Moreover, according to US Census Bureau Data, West Virginia is the third lowest in per capita income state. It also ranks last at median household income. Virginia’s adult population with a bachelor’s degree is the lowest in the U.S. At 17.3%.

The main economy is coal, and the state is the lead in coal production, second only to Wyoming.From the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training we find that the West Virginia Coal Industry provides about 30,000 direct jobs in WV, including miners, mine contractors, coal preparation plant employees and mine supply companies. In particular 20,715 are registered as employees in the 188 active coal mines in WV, while an additional 4,842 work as an independent contractor.

From the same source we read that for 2009, fatal accidents were 3, non fatal accidents 1,164 and the accident frequency was estimated to be 2.79%. Involved in accidents are mainly high voltage equipment, and areas in and around river load outs. But apart from fatalities, a major health problem for VW coal mining workers is pneumoconiosis, or ‘black lung’. The CDC has implemented a safety and health chapter regarding occupational Respiratory Disease Surveillance, and especially for coal miners, the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (ECWHSP).

The ECWHSP includes surveys that include specifically designed standardized health questionnaires, work histories, spirometry testing, radiographic examinations, and collection of other relevant health information, which are gathered in a specially designed mobile examination unit by trained personnel on site.Results of the ECWHSP 2009 survey on mine workers in West Virginia are shown on table 1:

Community Health Needs Assessment Tools