Effect of Community Health Workers on 30-Day Hospital Readmission: A Meta-analysis

Authors: Christine E. Loftis MD, Lilia Cervantes MD & Liron Caplan MD, PhD

This review looked at whether community health workers help lower 30-day hospital readmissions. Seven studies were included, and overall the results showed that patients who received CHW support were less likely to be readmitted than those who got usual care. The randomized trials alone didn’t show a clear effect, but the observational studies did. Because the studies varied a lot, more research is needed. Even so, the findings suggest CHW programs could help reduce readmissions and healthcare costs for marginalized groups.