CHWs in primary care include those with limited formal medical education who provide primary care services and patient support. Andrea Hartzler and her colleagues surveyed thirty research studies to understand the core functions and roles of CHWs in primary care. Functions of CHWs clustered across three types of roles: Clinical services, community resource connections, and … [Read more...] about Roles and functions of community health workers in primary care
Oceania
Protecting community health workers: PPE needs and recommendations for policy action
Demands for personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic strained global supply chains, often leaving low- and middle-income countries without a means to protect their health workers. CHWs are no exception. This article provides an overview of PPE required to protect CHWs during a pandemic and makes recommendations for improving supply chain access. … [Read more...] about Protecting community health workers: PPE needs and recommendations for policy action
Positionality of Community Health Workers on Health Intervention Research Teams: A Scoping Review
Even the most effective solutions will fail if they do not align with the experiences, interests, and beliefs of the communities they are designed to help. As people who are intimately involved within their communities, CHWs represent a group with the knowledge and insight to help researchers tailor projects to better fit the needs of their target audiences. Kiera Coulter and … [Read more...] about Positionality of Community Health Workers on Health Intervention Research Teams: A Scoping Review
Community health worker interventions to promote psychosocial outcomes among people living with HIV– A systematic review
Some CHWs learn how to help people experiencing HIV and AIDS reframe their thinking about the disease to reduce depression, improve quality of life, and engage in treatment. Hae-Ra Han and her colleagues gathered available research about whether different types of training contribute to positive changes in HIV- and AIDS-related thoughts and behaviors. They identified limited … [Read more...] about Community health worker interventions to promote psychosocial outcomes among people living with HIV– A systematic review
The community health worker as service extender, cultural broker and social change agent: A critical interpretive synthesis of roles, intent, an accountability
CHWs connect the communities in which they live and the health systems in which they are immersed. Marta Schaaf and her colleagues identified the three main roles of CHWs in bridging this gap: the service extender (bringing medical services to the people), the cultural broker (interpreting medical services for the people), and the social change agent (helping address contexts … [Read more...] about The community health worker as service extender, cultural broker and social change agent: A critical interpretive synthesis of roles, intent, an accountability
