CHWs in low- and middle-income countries frequently use mobile health (mHealth) technology to support diabetes management. Sean Duffy and colleagues evaluated whether or not mHealth applications could be used to provide CHWs with clinical decision support for primary diabetes management in Guatemala. Results indicated that CHWs effectively helped patients manage diabetes during … [Read more...] about Using Community Health Workers and a Smartphone Application to Improve Diabetes Control in Rural Guatemala
Research
How COVID-19 Has Affected Frontline Workers in Brazil: A Comparative Analysis of Nurses and Community Health Workers
Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline workers addressed emergency situations by applying their own discretion and utilizing whichever tools were available to support their goals. Gabriela Lotta and colleagues evaluated how decisions made by CHWs were influenced by the early stages of the pandemic between March and July in Brazil. Results indicated that ambiguous federal … [Read more...] about How COVID-19 Has Affected Frontline Workers in Brazil: A Comparative Analysis of Nurses and Community Health Workers
Contributions of the lay workers in providing home-based treatment adherence support to patients with advanced HIV/AIDS disease in low-income settings: Lessons learned from the field in Tanzania and Zambia
Provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Eastern and Southern Africa remains limited due to clinical staffing shortages. Godfather Kimaro and colleagues evaluated whether lay health workers in Tanzania and Zambia could reduce the burden of patients on hospital staffing. Results indicated that lay health workers were successful at identifying ART related side effects and … [Read more...] about Contributions of the lay workers in providing home-based treatment adherence support to patients with advanced HIV/AIDS disease in low-income settings: Lessons learned from the field in Tanzania and Zambia
Should female community health volunteers (FCHVs) facilitate a response to gender-based violence (GBV)? A mixed methods exploratory study in Mangalsen, Nepal
Only one in five Nepali women seek care following gender-based violence (GBV). Myra Betron and colleagues evaluated whether female community health volunteers (fCHVs), with their trusted role in society, could improve care for these women. After attending a single day of training, fCHVs reported increased knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in providing care for GBV. One year … [Read more...] about Should female community health volunteers (FCHVs) facilitate a response to gender-based violence (GBV)? A mixed methods exploratory study in Mangalsen, Nepal
Task-sharing interventions for improving control of diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Impacts of health system physician shortages in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can be mitigated by assigning tasks that require limited specialized knowledge to non-physician healthcare workers, including CHWs. Joseph Maria and colleagues reviewed 46 research studies to understand how this so-called “task-sharing” is applied to manage type 2 diabetes in LMICs. … [Read more...] about Task-sharing interventions for improving control of diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis