CHWs

The experiences of lay health workers trained in task-shifting psychological interventions: a qualitative systematic review

Int J Ment Health Syst. 2019 Oct 14;13:64. doi: 10.1186/s13033-019-0320-9. eCollection 2019. [Pubmed Abstract]

Shahmalak U, Blakemore A, Waheed MW, Waheed W

Introduction
The prevalence of common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, is high and the demand for psychological interventions and talking therapies is increasing. In order to meet this need, it is necessary to explore alternative methods to deliver talking therapies. Training lay health workers (LHWs) to deliver psychological interventions might be one possible solution to address current gaps in service provision. A number of studies have successfully used this approach to deliver psychological interventions in order to meet the demand for mental health care. Despite increased interest in this area, the evidence has not been synthesised or systematically reviewed.

Methods
Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBBASE, PsycINFO and CINHAL) were systematically searched to specifically capture studies on…

Toward an institutional perspective on social capital health interventions: lay CHWs as social capital builders

Sociol Health Illn. 2020 Jan;42(1):95-110. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.12992. Epub 2019 Nov 1. [Pubmed Abstract]

Adams C

Abstract
This article argues that social capital health research should move beyond a mere focus on social cohesion and network perspectives to integrate an institutional approach into the development of social capital health interventions. An institutional perspective, which is unique in its emphasis on linking social capital in addition to the bonding and bridging forms, contextualises social capital, allowing researchers to confront the complexity of social relationships. This perspective allows for the construction of interventions that draw on the resources of diverse actors, particularly the state. One intervention strategy with the potential to create community linkages involves lay community health workers (LCHWs), individuals who are trained to perform a variety of health-related functions but lack a formal professional health education. This article…

A Novel Intervention for High-Need, High-Cost Medicaid Patients: a Study of ECHO Care

J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Jan;35(1):21-27. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05206-0. Epub 2019 Oct 30. [Pubmed Abstract]

Komaromy M, Bartlett J, Gonzales-van Horn SR, Zurawski A, Kalishman SG, Zhu Y, Davis HT, Ceballos V, Sun X, Jurado M, Page K, Hamblin A, Arora S

Background
A small number of high-need patients account for a disproportionate amount of Medicaid spending, yet typically engage little in outpatient care and have poor outcomes.

Objective
To address this issue, we developed ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) Care™, a complex care intervention in which outpatient intensivist teams (OITs) provided care to high-need high-cost (HNHC) Medicaid patients. Teams were supported using the ECHO model™, a continuing medical education approach that connects specialists with primary care providers for case-based mentoring to treat complex diseases.

Design
Using an interrupted time series analysis of Medicaid claims data, we measured healthcare utilization and…