Source
American Journal of Public Health
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/
Peer-Reviewed Article
October 2017
This resource reports on a randomized clinical trial assessing whether CHWs can effectively improve chronic disease outcomes.
- A large body of literature indicates that CHWs can be effective, but nearly all the interventions have been disease-specific. This study focused on a low-income population with multiple chronic conditions.
- The study team created IMPaCT (Individualized Management for Patient-Centered Targets), a CHW intervention that can be applied across diseases to address socioeconomic and behavioral factors.
- A CHW intervention, combined with collaborative goal-setting, led to modest improvements in diabetes, obesity, and smoking when compared with collaborative goal-setting alone. The CHW intervention did not lead to improvements in hypertension.
- The CHW support also improved mental health and quality of primary care, and appeared to reduce hospital admissions.
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