CHWs

CHWs as Allies in Hypertension Self-Management and Medication Adherence in the United States, 2014

Prev Chronic Dis. 2016 Dec 29;13:E179. [Pubmed Abstract]

Allen CG, Brownstein JN, Satsangi A, Escoffery C

Introduction
Rates of hypertension control remain low among underserved populations in the United States; moreover, disparities in hypertension-related cardiovascular disease death are increasing. Community health workers (CHWs) can address barriers to hypertension control among underrepresented and diverse populations. We identify unique roles CHWs play in hypertension self-management and medication adherence.

Methods
In 2014, we conducted a mixed methods study with an online survey of 265 CHWs and 23 telephone interviews. The survey and interview guide contained questions about CHWs’ roles in hypertension self-management and hypertension medication adherence. We used descriptive statistics to analyze survey data and used inductive thematic analysis for the qualitative data.

Results
CHWs described working in partnership with patients and various health care…

The Effectiveness of CHWs in CVD Prevention in LMIC

Glob Heart. 2016 Dec 16. [Pubmed Abstract]

Khetan AK, Purushothaman R, Chami T, Hejjaji V, Madan Mohan SK, Josephson RA, Webel AR

Abstract
Community health workers (CHW) may be effective in tackling the burden of cardiovascular diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This review examines whether CHWs can improve the identification and control of cardiovascular risk factors in LMIC. We searched for studies that used CHW as a basis for cardiovascular risk factor management. Our search yielded 11 articles that targeted cardiovascular risk factor assessment, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, diet and physical activity. There were 4 randomized controlled trials, 3 quasi-experimental studies, 3 cross-sectional studies, and 1 retrospective analysis. Eight studies reported positive results with CHW being able to effectively screen for cardiovascular risk factors, decrease systolic blood pressure, decrease fasting blood glucose, increase quit rates of smoking, decrease…

Impact of CHWs on Use of Healthcare Services in the United States: A Systematic Review

Jack HE, Arabadjis SD, Sun L, Sullivan EE, Phillips RS

J Gen Intern Med. 2016 Dec 5. [Pubmed Abstract]

Background
As the US transitions to value-based healthcare, physicians and payers are incentivized to change healthcare delivery to improve quality of care while controlling costs. By assisting with the management of common chronic conditions, community health workers (CHWs) may improve healthcare quality, but physicians and payers who are making choices about care delivery also need to understand their effects on healthcare spending.

Methods
We searched PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science from the inception of each database to 22 June 2015. We included US-based studies that evaluated a CHW intervention for patients with at least one chronic health condition and reported cost or healthcare utilization outcomes. We evaluated studies using tools specific to study…