Narrative medicine allows healthcare professionals to establish meaningful bonds with their patients through sharing lived experiences. Researchers in Brazil conducted a study to understand how CHWs utilize narrative medicine. The authors found that in using narrative medicine, CHWs were able to exercise compassion, empathy, and attentiveness with their patients. While this is … [Read more...] about Brazil’s Community Health Workers Practicing Narrative Medicine: Patients’ Perspectives
Research
Community health workers’ efforts to build health system trust in marginalised communities: a qualitative study from South Africa
The authors of this study investigate CHW workplace trust, trust between the patient and the CHW, and trust in the health system within the national CHW program in South Africa. They found that while CHWs had low workplace trust and there is low trust in the healthcare system to provide adequate care, there is significant trust between CHWs and their patients. These results … [Read more...] about Community health workers’ efforts to build health system trust in marginalised communities: a qualitative study from South Africa
Community Health Workers: Connecting Communities and Supporting School Nurses
Community health workers (CHWs) are essential to achieving positive health outcomes and advancing health equity in the United States. Yet they are not sufficiently integrated into school healthcare systems. The authors of this article emphasize the important role CHWs play in connecting school-aged children and their families to necessary community resources and call for the … [Read more...] about Community Health Workers: Connecting Communities and Supporting School Nurses
How workers respond to social rewards: evidence from community health workers in Uganda
How does recognition affect CHW performance? The authors of this study explored how a competitive annual award (a social reward) affected CHW performance in Uganda. The researchers found that when one CHW received the award, peer CHW performance decreased. Additionally, the authors found that if a whole CHW branch received an award, neighboring CHW branches showed decreased … [Read more...] about How workers respond to social rewards: evidence from community health workers in Uganda
Effect of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing on HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy initiation in Malawi: A cluster-randomised trial
HIV infection can go undetected in certain populations of Malawi, increasing disease-burden and continued transmission. Researchers conducted a study to assess the effectiveness and safety of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing (HIVST) to increase antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. The authors found that community-led HIVST was a safe and cost effective way to … [Read more...] about Effect of community-led delivery of HIV self-testing on HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy initiation in Malawi: A cluster-randomised trial