Community needs assessment to reach out to an underserved population

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Health Information Science
• Medical Librarianship

Background:

• Underserved populations, including those experiencing homelessness, face significant barriers to accessing health information.
• Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a valuable framework for addressing health disparities.
• Medical libraries play a crucial role in supporting health information literacy and access for diverse communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the specific health information needs of clients at a homeless shelter.
• To assess the needs and challenges of outreach partners (shelter staff, medical students, librarians) in providing health information.
• To inform the development of tailored health information outreach programs for vulnerable populations.

Main Methods:

• A community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach was employed.
• Data collection involved assessing the health information needs of homeless shelter clients.
• The needs and challenges of shelter staff, medical students, and public librarians serving this population were also evaluated.

Main Results:

• The community needs assessment identified key health information gaps among the homeless population.
• Insights were gained into the resource and training needs of outreach partners.
• The findings directly influenced the medical library's strategic planning for community engagement.

Conclusions:

• Community-based participatory research effectively identifies health information needs in underserved populations.
• Tailored health information outreach programs, informed by community input, are essential for vulnerable groups.
• Medical libraries can enhance their role in promoting health equity by supporting service-learning and community partnerships.