Pediatric Education in Community and Office Settings: Starter Kit for Community Preceptors

Guide 1
Windshield Survey

HOUSING AND ZONING

OPEN SPACE

BOUNDARIES

“COMMONS”

TRANSPORTATION

SERVICE CENTERS

STORES

STREET PEOPLE

SIGNS OF DECAY

RACE

ETHNICITY

RELIGION

HEALTH AND MORBIDITY

POLITICS

MEDIA

American Academy of Pediatrics

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Pediatric Education in Community and Office Settings: Starter Kit for Community Preceptors

Windshield Survey Components
Element

Description

Housing and
Zoning

What is the age of the houses, their architecture, of what materials are they constructed?
Are all the neighborhood houses similar in age, architecture? How would you characterize the differences? Are they detached from or connected to others? Do they have space in front and behind? What is their general condition? Are there signs of disrepair—broken doors, windows, leaks, locks missing? Is there central heating, modern plumbing, air conditioning?

Open Space

How much open space is there? What is the quality of the space—green parks or rubblefilled lots? What are the lot sizes of the houses? Lawns? Flower boxes? Do you see trees on the pavements, a green island in the center of the street? Is the open space public or private? Used by whom?

Boundaries

What signs are there of where this neighborhood begins and ends? Are the boundaries natural—a river, a different terrain? Physical—a highway, railroad? Economic—difference in real estate, or presence of industrial, commercial units along with residential? Does the neighborhood have an identity, a name? Do you see it displayed? Are there unofficial names?

“Commons”

What are the neighborhood hangouts? For what groups, at what hours (eg, school yard, candy store, bar, restaurant, park, 24-hour drugstore)? Does the “commons” have a sense of “territoriality” or is it open to the stranger?

Transportation

How do people get in and out of the neighborhood? Car, bus, bike, walk? Are the streets and roads conducive to good transportation and also to community life? Is there a major highway near the neighborhood? Whom does it serve? How frequently is public transportation available?

Service Centers

Do you see social agencies, clinics, recreation centers, signs of activity at the schools? Are there offices of doctors, dentists? Palmists, spiritualists? Parks? Are they in use?

Stores

Where do residents shop? Shopping centers, neighborhood stores? How do they travel to shop?

Street People

If you are traveling during the day, whom do you see on the street? An occasional housewife, a mother with a baby? Do you see anyone you would not expect? Teenagers, unemployed males? Can you spot a welfare worker, an insurance collector, and a door-to-door salesman? Is the dress of those you see representative or unexpected? Along with people, what animals do you see? Stray cats, dogs, pedigreed pets, “watchdogs”?

Signs of Decay

Is this neighborhood on the way up or down? Is it “alive”? How would you decide? Trash, abandoned cars, political posters, neighborhood meeting posters, real estate signs, abandoned houses, mixed zoning usage?

Race

Are the residents white, black, or is the area integrated?

Ethnicity

Are there indices of ethnicity—food stores, churches, private schools, information in a language other than English?

Health and
Morbidity

Do you see evidence of acute or chronic diseases or conditions? Of accidents, communicable diseases, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness? How far is it to the nearest hospital? Clinic?

Politics

Do you see any political campaign posters? Is there a present headquarters? Do you see any evidence of a predominant party affiliation?

Media

Do you see outdoor TV antennas? What magazines, newspapers do residents read?
Do you see Forward Times, Hampton Post, Enquirer, Reader’s Digest in the stores?
What media seem most important to the residents? Radio, TV?

(Adapted from Terry Mizrahi Madison School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University) (Originally adapted from Madison,
Terry Mizrahi. School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth University).
Spradley, Barbara W. (1985). Community health nursing (2nd ed.). Boston: Little, Brown & Company.
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American Academy of Pediatrics