Disparities across racial and socioeconomic lines in the utilization of health care services and in patient outcomes continue to plague healthcare systems in the U.S. (AHRQ, 2008; Smedley, 2003; Children’s Defense Fund, 2006). Policies to address health care disparities have varied, including steps to increase access to health insurance coverage at both the state … [Read more...] about Community Health Workers: A Review of Program Evolution, Evidence on Effectiveness and Value, and Status of Workforce Development in New England
CHW Role
Addressing Chronic Disease through Community Health Workers: A Policy and Systems-level Approach
This document provides guidance and resources for implementing recommendations to integrate community health workers (CHWs) into community-based efforts to prevent chronic disease. After providing general information on CHWs in the United States, it sets forth evidence demonstrating the value and impact of CHWs in preventing and managing a variety of … [Read more...] about Addressing Chronic Disease through Community Health Workers: A Policy and Systems-level Approach
Policy Evidence Assessment Report: Community Health Worker Policy Components
Policy Evidence Assessment Reports summarize the evidence bases for components of chronic disease policy. Evidence based policy can be used to prevent, control, and improve the outcomes of chronic disease, but the strength of the evidence for many components of policy is unknown. The Policy Evidence Assessment Reports are intended to inform … [Read more...] about Policy Evidence Assessment Report: Community Health Worker Policy Components
Patient-Centered Community Health Worker Intervention to Improve Posthospital Outcomes A Randomized Clinical Trial
Objective: To determine whether a tailored community health worker (CHW) intervention would improve posthospital outcomes among low-SES patients. Results: Using intention-to-treat analysis, we found that intervention patients were more likely to obtain timely posthospital primary care, to report high-quality discharge communication, and to show greater … [Read more...] about Patient-Centered Community Health Worker Intervention to Improve Posthospital Outcomes A Randomized Clinical Trial
It’s not Ebola…it’s the systems
The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa demonstrates key deficiencies in investment in health systems. Despite some modest investment in health systems, our field has instead largely chosen to pursue shorter-term, vertical efforts to more rapidly address key global health issues such as smallpox, polio, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. While those efforts have yielded … [Read more...] about It’s not Ebola…it’s the systems