The Reliability and Feasibility of the HESPER Web to Assess Perceived Needs in a Population Affected by a Humanitarian Emergency

Needs assessment is essential in the humanitarian response, and perceived needs can be associated with the levels of health in populations affected by humanitarian emergencies. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and feasibility of The Humanitarian Emergency Settings Perceived Needs Web (HESPER Web) in a humanitarian context and to compare perceived needs of a random walk study sample with a self-selected study sample recruited though social media.

The study found that HESPER Web is a reliable and usable instrument to assess perceived needs. It offers a reliable tool for needs assessment in humanitarian emergencies where web-based surveys are considered as practical and suitable. It offers new possibilities for conducting remote assessments and research studies that include humanitarian populations that are rarely included in such evaluations.