Indiana community health workers: challenges and opportunities for workforce development.
Capacity building
Community health workers
Indiana
Workforce
Journal
BMC health services research
ISSN: 1472-6963
Titre abrégé: BMC Health Serv Res
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101088677
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
27 Jan 2022
27 Jan 2022
Historique:
received:
12
07
2021
accepted:
22
12
2021
entrez:
28
1
2022
pubmed:
29
1
2022
medline:
1
2
2022
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
An interest in, and the need for, Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the United States is growing exponentially. CHWs possess a unique ability to relate to and build trust with communities in order to improve clinical outcomes, while building individual and community capacity. Given their critical role in addressing social determinants of health, expanding the CHW workforce is crucial. However, creating CHW jobs, facilitating training and certification, and establishing sustainable financing models to support this workforce has been challenging. A mixed-methods study consisting of an online survey and focus group discussions assessed the strengths, practices, and challenges to CHW workforce sustainability and expansion in the state of Indiana, including perspectives from both CHWs and employers. Across 8 topics, mixed data analysis revealed 28 findings that were both complementary and unique across focus group and survey results. Results highlighted CHW skills and attributes, illustrated the recruitment and hiring process, and provided insight into measuring outcomes and outputs. Findings also indicated a need to build position validation, professional development, and billing and reimbursement capacity. Building and sustaining the CHW workforce will require creating an evidence base of roles and impact, increasing awareness of existing reimbursement mechanisms, and sharing best practices across employer organizations to promote optimal recruitment, training, supervision, career development, and funding strategies.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
An interest in, and the need for, Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the United States is growing exponentially. CHWs possess a unique ability to relate to and build trust with communities in order to improve clinical outcomes, while building individual and community capacity. Given their critical role in addressing social determinants of health, expanding the CHW workforce is crucial. However, creating CHW jobs, facilitating training and certification, and establishing sustainable financing models to support this workforce has been challenging.
METHODS
METHODS
A mixed-methods study consisting of an online survey and focus group discussions assessed the strengths, practices, and challenges to CHW workforce sustainability and expansion in the state of Indiana, including perspectives from both CHWs and employers.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Across 8 topics, mixed data analysis revealed 28 findings that were both complementary and unique across focus group and survey results. Results highlighted CHW skills and attributes, illustrated the recruitment and hiring process, and provided insight into measuring outcomes and outputs. Findings also indicated a need to build position validation, professional development, and billing and reimbursement capacity.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Building and sustaining the CHW workforce will require creating an evidence base of roles and impact, increasing awareness of existing reimbursement mechanisms, and sharing best practices across employer organizations to promote optimal recruitment, training, supervision, career development, and funding strategies.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35086545
doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-07469-6
pii: 10.1186/s12913-022-07469-6
pmc: PMC8792135
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
117Subventions
Organisme : NCI NIH HHS
ID : K01 CA241073
Pays : United States
Organisme : NCATS NIH HHS
ID : UL1 TR002529
Pays : United States
Informations de copyright
© 2022. The Author(s).
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