Impact of community health workers on access, use of services, and patient knowledge and behavior.
Community health workers have been used in health centers for several decades. Known by various names (e.g., community health advisors, outreach workers, promotoras), they are trusted community members providing informal community-based health-related services and establishing vital links between health providers and the community. They perform many functions, including outreach and case finding, health education, translation, patient transportation, and case management (under the supervision of a nurse or social worker). This article, based on a study of community health worker programs at seven sites, is intended to share the lessons learned that could be helpful to other program managers and to examine the outcomes of such programs.
Zuvekas
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Center for Health Services Research and Policy, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Nolan
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Tumaylle
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Griffin
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D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000191:economics; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D007318:Inservice Training; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010560:Personnel Selection; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce