Authors: Shari L. Hutchison, Donna E. Mengle, Irina O. Karpov, Tammy L. Pooler, Amy D. Herschell & Jamie F. Edwards
This study looked at whether community health workers could help people receiving treatment for substance use problems stay connected to care after leaving hospital or residential treatment. It followed 865 Medicaid patients, with about two-thirds receiving support from community health workers. People who worked with a community health worker were more likely to receive follow-up care within 7 and 30 days, while only 5.7% of those receiving the support were readmitted. Overall, the findings suggest that community health workers can help improve follow-up care and support better outcomes for people recovering from substance use problems.
Link: Community Health Worker Intervention to Decrease Substance Use Disorder Readmissions in Medicaid-Enrolled Adults
Resource Topic: CHW Role, Substance Use
Resource Type: Cohort Study
Year: 2026
Region: North America (U.S. and Canada)
Country: United States of America
Publisher May Restrict Access: Yes