title: Focus on the future: a community health worker research agenda by and for the field.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research articles describing community health worker (CHW) programs often focus on program activities and short-term outcomes, failing to assess CHWs' long-term contributions to improving individual and community health. Reflecting this, CHWs are supported by short-term public and private funding.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To inform policies that will potentially increase support and funding for CHW work, specific research is needed providing evidence of CHW effectiveness. This article describes the development of a CHW research agenda by and for the field.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CHWs, researchers, and stakeholders (policy makers, funders, others) collaborated during and after a conference to develop and refine a 164 question agenda targeting six areas (Table 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Key research areas identified by the agenda development participants include: * CHW impact on health status; * CHW cost effectiveness; * Building CHW capacity and sustaining CHWs on the job; * Funding options; * CHWs as capacity builders; and * CHWs promoting real access to care.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas, El Paso, College of Health Sciences.
authors.forename: E Lee
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Heer
authors.forename: Carl H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Rush
authors.forename: Lisa-Renee
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Holderby
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000639:trends*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005544:Forecasting; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000639:trends*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires