Kowalczyk Monica, Yao Nicole, Gregory LaToya, Cheatham Jeannine, DeClemente Tarrah, Fox Kenneth, Ignoffo Stacy, Volerman Anna
Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, 5841 S. Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL, USA.
Arch Public Health. 2024 Jun 21;82(1):94. doi: 10.1186/s13690-024-01313-5.
Community health worker (CHW) interventions have demonstrated positive impacts globally, with the COVID-19 pandemic further highlighting the potential of CHWs at the frontline to support prevention, outreach, and healthcare delivery. As the workforce expands, understanding the work and capabilities of CHWs is key to design successful interventions. This study examines the perspectives of experienced CHWs in Chicago about their current work and strategies for success.
As part of a community-academic partnership in Chicago, semi-structured interviews were completed with individuals who held positions aligned with CHW. Interviews were conducted between January and April 2022. Questions focused on participants' work and factors contributing to their effectiveness to gain insights into workforce strategies for success to be applied in healthcare and community settings. De-identified transcripts were analyzed using inductive reasoning with codes organized into themes and subthemes under two domains identified a priori. The themes informed a logic model focused on the early stages to support the success of CHWs in their role.
Fourteen individuals participated in the study. The two predetermined domains in this study were: current work of CHWs and strategies for CHWs to be successful. Five themes were identified about CHWs' current work: providing services, building alliances with clients, establishing and maintaining collaborations, collecting data, and experiencing challenges in role. From their perspectives, all these responsibilities enhance client care and support workforce sustainability efforts. Five themes emerged about strategies for the success of CHWs: background of CHWs, champions to support work of CHWs, materials to perform work of CHWs, preparation for CHW role, and characteristics of CHWs. Participants described key traits CHWs should possess to be hired, individuals who can champion and advocate for their work, and specific materials needed to fulfill responsibilities. They reported that training and familiarity with the community were integral to developing and refining the qualities and skills necessary to be effective in their role.
CHWs play an increasingly important role in enhancing healthcare delivery and improving health outcomes. This study offers a framework for policymakers, communities, and organizations to utilize for preparing CHWs to succeed in their roles.
社区卫生工作者（CHW）干预措施在全球范围内都显示出了积极影响，新冠疫情进一步凸显了一线社区卫生工作者在支持预防、外展和医疗服务提供方面的潜力。随着这一劳动力群体的扩大，了解社区卫生工作者的工作和能力是设计成功干预措施的关键。本研究考察了芝加哥经验丰富的社区卫生工作者对其当前工作及成功策略的看法。
作为芝加哥社区与学术伙伴关系的一部分，对担任与社区卫生工作者相关职位的人员进行了半结构化访谈。访谈于2022年1月至4月期间进行。问题聚焦于参与者的工作以及促成其工作成效的因素，以深入了解可应用于医疗和社区环境的成功劳动力策略。使用归纳推理对去识别化的访谈记录进行分析，将编码组织成先验确定的两个领域下的主题和子主题。这些主题为一个侧重于早期阶段的逻辑模型提供了信息，以支持社区卫生工作者在其角色中取得成功。
14人参与了该研究。本研究中预先确定的两个领域是：社区卫生工作者的当前工作以及社区卫生工作者取得成功的策略。关于社区卫生工作者的当前工作确定了五个主题：提供服务、与客户建立联盟、建立和维持合作关系、收集数据以及在角色中遇到挑战。从他们的角度来看，所有这些职责都能加强客户护理并支持劳动力可持续发展工作。关于社区卫生工作者成功的策略出现了五个主题：社区卫生工作者的背景、支持社区卫生工作者工作的拥护者、开展社区卫生工作者工作所需的材料、为社区卫生工作者角色做准备以及社区卫生工作者的特质。参与者描述了社区卫生工作者被聘用应具备的关键特质、能够支持和倡导其工作的人员以及履行职责所需的特定材料。他们报告说，培训和对社区的熟悉对于培养和提升在其角色中有效工作所需的素质和技能至关重要。
社区卫生工作者在加强医疗服务提供和改善健康结果方面发挥着越来越重要的作用。本研究为政策制定者、社区和组织提供了一个框架，用于帮助社区卫生工作者为在其角色中取得成功做好准备。
