What are the four types of needs that you believe should always be considered in a community health assessment? Consider those needs in your own community. How do you see them interacting with each other?

REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE’S RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 125 WORDS)

                                               CLASSMATE’S POST

The four types of need that should be considered when conducting a community health assessment are:

1) Expressed – demand for services (who requires the service, how many people require the service, how often is it used, what is the service) 

2) Normative – used to determine is a need exists. It could be the lack of a service, inadequate services, or excess service (this need is viewed through the eyes of the observer)

3) Perceived – what need does the community feel they require (this need is viewed through the eyes of the person requiring the need)

4) Relative – Is the identified gap that is identified through the contrast between the disadvantaged and advantaged populations.

In Franklin County where I was raised, it has been identified that there is an increase in deaths by guns and an increase in drug overdoses. You can see the needs interacting because local officials have expressed the need to decrease gun violence and drug use. The community members feel that the local government should step in and gain control of the problem. The deaths resulting from gun violence and drug overdoses are occurring at alarmingly higher rates than in neighboring counties All needs have to be considered to determine the root cause of the problem, which will allow planners to implement a solid solution.