Community Health Needs Assessment as a Teaching Tool in a Family Medicine Residency

Community-based primary care is a fundamental concept taught in family medicine. Best practices for community-oriented and public health training in medical training programs are underreported in the published literature. A Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) offers an opportunity for family medicine residents to practice research and evaluation skills while learning about public health and the community they serve.

A family medicine residency program in Harlem, NY, conducted a CHNA in order to assess their community's health landscape and as an opportunity to teach the resident trainees research skills. Primary and secondary data were collected by the residents using public databases, surveys, focus groups, and key informant interviews. Residents completed a survey at the project's completion to assess their experience with the CHNA and to obtain suggestions for improving the process in the future.

More than 50% of the 15 residents surveyed reported that the CHNA greatly improved their comfort level speaking to patients about social factors that affect their health. Participants responded that they valued the opportunity to engage with community members and to understand their patients on a population level. The greatest challenge for most residents was lack of devoted time to complete the project considering competing residency responsibilities.

Conducting a CHNA in a primary care training program can help the next generation of family physicians become culturally competent and community focused in their work.