Interprofessional Teamwork and Collaboration Between Community Health Workers and Healthcare Teams (original) (raw)
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Health providers and public health agencies are focusing increased attention on the capacity of community health workers (CHWs) to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations and to support integration of clinical and community prevention services. This article describes three initiatives in Massachusetts in which the state public health department has collaborated with CHW leaders, health providers, and community partners to develop innovative policy and services, including state certification of CHWs, integrated chronic disease programs, and a statefunded program to demonstrate the value of community-based prevention in reducing health care growth. Lessons are relevant for implementation of health care reform nation-wide.
Human Resources for Health, 2015
Background: There is robust evidence that community health workers (CHWs) in low-and middle-income (LMIC) countries can improve their clients' health and well-being. The evidence on proven strategies to enhance and sustain CHW performance at scale, however, is limited. Nevertheless, CHW stakeholders need guidance and new ideas, which can emerge from the recognition that CHWs function at the intersection of two dynamic, overlapping systemsthe formal health system and the community. Although each typically supports CHWs, their support is not necessarily strategic, collaborative or coordinated.
Aligning Provider Team Members With Polyvalent Community Health Workers
Nursing Administration Quarterly, 2015
In light of the fragmentation of health care services and the need for health promotion and disease prevention, it is time to consider the important role community health workers (CHWs) could play as part of the health care team. Globally, CHWs tend to focus on a single patient condition, resulting in fragmented, uncoordinated health care services. Polyvalent (or multimodal) CHWs can provide a comprehensive, patient-centric range of care coordination services with other members of the health care team, ultimately improving patient outcomes and decreasing the cost of care. The potential benefits of the polyvalent CHW to the health care team are not widely understood in the United States. To fill this knowledge gap, a toolkit for nurse leaders in mainstream health care settings was created. The toolkit outlines the key elements essential to a successful CHW program and offers strategies for navigating the various challenges involved when integrating this new role into existing models of care. Key words: acute care, care delivery team, community-based care, community health worker T HE US HEALTH CARE SYSTEM is in the throes of a crisis. Although the current trend in health care is to be patient-centric, existing models of health care delivery are still based upon patients entering a complicated, often intimidating health system that
Outcome Effectiveness of Community Health Workers: An Integrative Literature Review
Public Health Nursing, 2002
Community health workers (CHWs) are promoted as a mechanism to increase community involvement in health promotion eorts, despite little consensus about the role and its eectiveness. This article reviews the databased literature on CHW eectiveness, which indicates preliminary support for CHWs in increasing access to care, particularly in underserved populations. There are a smaller number of studies documenting outcomes in the areas of increased health knowledge, improved health status outcomes, and behavioral changes, with inconclusive results. Although CHWs show some promise as an intervention, the role can be doomed by overly high expectations, lack of a clear focus, and lack of documentation. Further research is required with an emphasis on stronger study design, documentation of CHW activities, and carefully de®ned target populations.
Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 2014
Community health workers are ideally suited to the care coordination niche within the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) team, but there are few case studies detailing how to accomplish this integration. This qualitative study documents how community health workers (CHWs) were integrated into a PCMH in South Bronx, New York. Results show that integration was linked to clear definition of their care coordination role within the care team, meticulous recruitment, training and supervision by a senior CHW, shared leadership of the care management team, and documented value for money. By helping the team understand patients' backgrounds, constraints, and preferences, they helped everyone genuinely focus on the patient.
Outcome effectiveness of community health workers: An integrative review
2011
Community health workers (CHWs) are promoted as a mechanism to increase community involvement in health promotion eorts, despite little consensus about the role and its eectiveness. This article reviews the databased literature on CHW eectiveness, which indicates preliminary support for CHWs in increasing access to care, particularly in underserved populations. There are a smaller number of studies documenting outcomes in the areas of increased health knowledge, improved health status outcomes, and behavioral changes, with inconclusive results. Although CHWs show some promise as an intervention, the role can be doomed by overly high expectations, lack of a clear focus, and lack of documentation. Further research is required with an emphasis on stronger study design, documentation of CHW activities, and carefully de®ned target populations.
The Journal of ambulatory care management
Today's ambulatory care providers face numerous challenges as they try to practice efficient, patient-centered medicine. This article explains how community health workers (CHWs) can be engaged to address many patient- and system-related barriers currently experienced in ambulatory care practices. Community health workers are frontline public health workers who serve as a trusted bridge between community members and health care providers. Among their varied roles, CHWs can educate and support patients in managing their risk factors and diseases and link these patients to needed resources. As shown in this overview (CHW 101), including CHWs as members of multidisciplinary care teams has the potential to strengthen both current and emerging models of health care delivery.
The Journal of ambulatory care management, 2017
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provided community health workers (CHWs) with new opportunities, and current efforts develop evidence-based guidelines for CHW integration into clinical teams. This qualitative study documents CHW roles and activities in 3 federally qualified health care centers in southern Arizona. Community health worker clinical roles, activities, and integration varied by health center and were in flux. Integration included complementary roles, scheduled and everyday communications with team members, and documentation in the electronic health records. These findings contribute to evidence-based guidelines for CHW integration into clinical teams that are critical to maximizing CHW contributions to patient health improvements.
BMC Public Health
Background Community Health Workers (CHWs) have long been integrated in the delivery of HIV care in middle- and low-income countries. However, less is known about CHW integration into HIV care teams in the United States (US). To date, US-based CHW integration studies have studies explored integration in the context of primary care and patient-centered medical homes. There is a need for research related to strategies that promote the successful integration of CHWs into HIV care delivery systems. In 2016, the Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau launched a three-year initiative to provide training, technical assistance and evaluation for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipient sites to integrate CHWs into their multidisciplinary care teams, and in turn strengthen their capacity to reach communities of color and reduce HIV inequities. Methods Ten RWHAP sites were selected from across eight states. The multi-site program evaluation included a process evalua...