Rowan County United Way

SALISBURY — In order to learn more about the urgent concerns for health and human services in the area, Rowan County United Way has begun a community opinion survey after training of survey takers on May 10.

From May 10-12, teams of two completed the questionnaires.

The Community Health Needs Assessment will help in determining not only how individuals feel about their own health but in identifying the issues related to barriers to accessing services, gaps in the system or possible strengths that can be identified as well.

Julia Kimmel, a volunteer from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was excited about the opportunity.

“I’m hoping that this will expand our reach so that we can get accurate information on what the people’s wants are in our community,” said Kimmel. “I believe it will be the best one yet.”

Matthew Simon and Erin Magee of the North Carolina Gillings Institute for Public Health led decisions about how the survey was conducted to give the best chance of hearing what local residents identify as
problems that need to be addressed.

The choice to do door-to-door interviews will produce data that will be inclusive of the community as a whole and with few biases.

It will receive a 60 percent to 80 percent response rate compared to fewer than 20 percent for web-based or phone surveys.

Another technique implemented is cluster sampling, which consists of a random selection of locations.

Over the next two weeks, volunteers will continue canvassing 30 neighborhoods that will reach throughout Rowan County to represent the community while reducing travel time for survey takers.

Survey takers will continue working through May 26.

 

Partners for the Needs Assessment include Novant, Rowan County Health Department and Healthy Rowan.

Anyone with questions or concerns about the survey should call 704-633-1802.