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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Leslie E. Wells, BS and Denise Soffel, PhD. Public Policy Department, Community Service Society, 105 East 22 Street, New York, NY 10010, 212-614-5533, lewells@optonline.net
In a study of care-seeking behavior for primary care among low-income people, a survey was conducted in subsidized housing developments in Brooklyn, New York.
Strategies utilized to ease entry into the community, minimize bias generated by “outsiders” studying poor neighborhoods, and maximize response and reliability included: (1) collaboration with Community Development personnel with long-standing community relationships established while overseeing an on-going project to revitalize and improve quality of life in the target community. (2) meetings with leadership of tenant organizations, prior to commencement of surveying, during which project approval and pledges of cooperation and assistance were solicited and obtained. (3 ) collaboration with tenant leaders in recruiting survey staff reflective of the racial and ethnic composition of the residents. One-third of hirees were residents of the target community. (4) $25.00 stipend paid for completed surveys (5) varying days and time periods for surveying
Of 490 households canvassed, 308 completed surveys were obtained. One-third of the interviews were completed on the first visit. The balance required up to six revisits during varying time periods. Despite the project approval and commitments of assistance obtained from the tenant associations, it was difficult to maintain “on-hand” participation from leadership. The stipend proved to be an effective tool. Participation peaked as a result of resident word-of-mouth ‘advertisement’ of the payments. Although utilization of racially compatible lay staff was an effective means of aiding entry, reducing suspicion and encouraging participation, time constraints limited the training intensity required to adequately prepare staff with no previous health-related knowledge.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Primary Care, Methodology
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.