Disparities
CHWs and Covid-19 — Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Times of Crisis and Beyond
N Engl J Med. 2020 Sep 23. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2022641. [Full Commentary]
Peretz PJ, Islam N, Matiz LA
New York City was the one of the first COVID-19 hot spots in the United States and necessitated a public health response that included community health workers. This piece in the New English Journal of Medicine shares experiences from New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, which are among the healthcare organizations that utilized CHWs into their COVID-19 response. In collaboration with community-based organizations, CHW teams proactively contacted socially isolated patients, connecting them with sources of critically important care and support. This experience has shown that, during times of crisis, CHWs may be the lone connection between some patients and an ever-changing — and increasingly digital — health care system.
Lazos Hispanos: Promising Strategies and Lessons Learned in the Development of a Multisystem, Community-Based Promotoras Program
J Prim Prev. 2020;41(3):229-243. doi:10.1007/s10935-020-00587-z. [Pubmed Abstract]
Matthew RA, Orpinas P, Calva A, Bermudez JM, Darbisi C
Abstract
U.S. Latinos face multiple inter-related barriers to access health and social services. Researchers and practitioners have called upon community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address such challenges and health disparities, with the community health worker-or promotoras-model evidencing positive outcomes. What is less clear, however, are the promising strategies to support the development of a multisystem, community-based promotoras program. In response, the current study applied a CBPR conceptual model as an organizing framework to develop a promotora program. Lazos Hispanos (Hispanic Links) was developed to enhance the health and well-being of Latinx residing in low-income communities in the Southeastern United States. This study highlights 16 lessons learned, anchored in the first two dimensions of the CBPR conceptual…
Integrating Social Needs Screening and CHWs in Primary Care: The Community Linkage to Care Program
Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2020 Jun;59(6):547-556. [Pubmed Abstract]
Fiori KP, Rehm CD, Sanderson D, Braganza S, Parsons A, Chodon T, Whiskey R, Bernard P, & Rinke ML
Abstract
Clinic-based social needs screening has been associated with increased access to social services and improved health outcomes. Using a pragmatic study design in an urban pediatric practice, we used logistic regression to identify factors associated with successful social service uptake. From December 2017 to November 2018, 4948 households were screened for social needs, and 20% self-reported at least one. Of the 287 households with unmet needs who were referred and interested in further assistance, 43% reported successful social service uptake. Greater than 4 outreach encounters (adjusted odds ratio = 1.92; 95% confidence interval = 1.06-3.49) and follow-up time >30 days (adjusted odds ratio = 0.43; 95% confidence interval = 0.25-0.73) were significantly associated with successful referrals. These…