Conduct the CASPER in the Field

Communications and press release

Prior to conducting the CASPER in the field, inform the community of the upcoming survey through:

• Press releases
• Official health department webpages
• Social media

Increased awareness of the CASPER can lead to increased participation.

Examples of press releases

• Lake County Public Health officials to conduct CASPER
• Bastrop County Facebook post to announce upcoming CASPER

Face-to-face interviews

Conduct CASPER through face-to-face interviews in the field. There are several advantages to conducting face-to-face interviews. These advantages include the following:

• A high response rate
• The ability to distribute health information or other materials (such as resource lists) to the community
• Directly connecting the community to local staff, increasing the visibility of and trust in the health department
• The ability to provide anecdotal information that can help guide response and recovery efforts, implementation of any recommendations or actions, and future plans (e.g., direct visual inspection of a disaster-affected area, common concerns overheard in the community not captured in the questionnaire)

CASPER interview teams should always have at least two members. The goal is to get a diverse team of two on aspects such as:

• Male/female
• Local/non-local
• Experienced/inexperienced

A traditional CASPER can have up to 30 teams (one per cluster). Keep in mind the availability of equipment, supplies, and personnel. Typically, a CASPER with 15 teams can be conducted in about 10 hours of midweek, afternoon/early evening data collection.

The CASPER interview tips provide a general guideline for making the interview successful. The Texas Department of State Health Services created a document of CASPER team member testimonials. The testimonials include team member experiences conducting CASPER in the field. They also include a short video developed by Harris County Department of Health on just-in-time training.

Public health materials

Take the opportunity to distribute public health materials while your interview teams are in the community. This information can range in topic:

• Health education related to the disaster
• Emergency preparedness:
  • What is in an emergency supply kit
  • Contact information for disaster services
• Other health information (e.g., upcoming influenza season information)

Give public health materials to selected households and any interested community member, regardless of participation status.

Examples of potential materials

• Lists of relevant resources (e.g., location of shelters, phone number of the vital records office, mental health hotline)
• Health education on carbon monoxide exposure, mold and mildew, or proper cleanup methods
• Supplies, such as insect repellent and sunscreen

Example materials

• Facts about preventing carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators
• Keep food safe after a disaster or emergency
• Helping children cope during and after a disaster

Just-in-time training

Training the interview teams is one of the most important aspects of conducting a CASPER. The following can invalidate the results and misrepresent the needs of the community:

• Inconsistent systematic random sampling
• Incorrect or incomplete forms
• Interviewer bias

Conduct a three to five hour just-in-time training either one day in advance or the morning of the first day of data collection. Details on just-in-time training are available as a PowerPoint and as a 508-compliant PDF.

Inform interview team members about:

• CASPER objectives
• Roles and responsibilities of team members
• How to select households to interview
• Safety instructions and potential hazards that may be encountered
• Logistics such as:
  • When to contact headquarters while in the field
  • Future meeting times

For more information on topics to cover in just-in-time training, please see CASPER Toolkit, Section 3.1.

Learn More

Check out the CASPER Toolkit, Section 3 for more information about how to conduct a CASPER.