Authors: McAtee, Cali M, Baker, Justan T., DeWolf, Breanne M., Sheridan, Megan N.,George, Elise M.,Sutton, Nancy A
The Rhode Island Department of Health’s Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke Program expanded the roles of certified community health workers (CCHWs) with specialized training in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). From 2020 to 2023, the program assessed whether this training improved patient health behaviors and outcomes. High-risk patients with hypertension, high cholesterol, and/or diabetes were assigned either CCHWs with or without specialty training. Both groups saw improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol for CVD patients and HbA1c values for DM patients, but no significant differences were observed between the two groups. However, patient confidence in managing their conditions increased in both phases, suggesting that CCHW support enhances self-efficacy. Further research is needed to understand the factors driving this increased confidence.
Link: Evaluation of a Cardiovascular Disease/Diabetes Mellitus Expansion Program for Community Health Workers Employed by Rhode Island Community Health Teams
Resource Topic: CHW training, Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes
Resource Type: Evaluation
Year: 2024
Region:
Country: United States of America
Publisher May Restrict Access: No