This commentary responds to an article by Sunu Thomas (2020) describing concerns about the role of confidentiality when a research participant discloses sensitive personal information while a CHW is present. The author describes concerns about whether CHWs should bridge the gap between communities and researchers and whether their presence during data collection represents a … [Read more...] about Community gatekeepers and the conundrum of confidentiality and coercion
North America (U.S. and Canada)
Qualitative evaluation of a community health representative program on patient experiences in Navajo Nation.
Members of the Navajo Nation receive home care, health education, and community health promotion from Community Health Representatives (CHRs). CHRs undergo specialized training under the COPE Intervention provided by Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE) to learn Motivational Interviewing and other culturally appropriate strategies to connect with local community … [Read more...] about Qualitative evaluation of a community health representative program on patient experiences in Navajo Nation.
Rapid literature review: Community health workers
CHWs performed as key actors during the Ebola, Zika, and Marburg outbreaks. Shuchi Srinivasan and Radhika Arora surveyed research examining barriers and facilitators to CHW-based responses to these outbreaks. Some barriers included gaps in knowledge and skills, failure to address PPE-related needs among CHWs, and the mental health impacts of living through a pandemic. … [Read more...] about Rapid literature review: Community health workers
Learning from community health worker programs, big and small
CHW programs demonstrate the potential for great impacts on population health, but interventions sometimes fail as a result of poor transitioning from program piloting to full scale implementation. Stephen Hodgins outlines some of the reasons these programs fail or succeed. He recommends expansions of research conducted both during intervention piloting and also at broad … [Read more...] about Learning from community health worker programs, big and small
COVID-19 crisis creates opportunities for community-centered population health: Community health workers at the center
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of the US healthcare system and the impacts of underinvestment in public health. Hobert Goldfield and colleagues outlined several state responses to the virus and the importance of CHWs in reducing its spread. The researchers called for governments to recruit greater CHW engagement in state response planning. … [Read more...] about COVID-19 crisis creates opportunities for community-centered population health: Community health workers at the center