Panel Paper:
Improving Health Outcomes through Community Health Worker Home-Based Interventions
Thursday, November 3, 2016
:
3:40 PM
Embassy (Washington Hilton)
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Community Health Worker (CHW) interventions have repeatedly been shown effective at improving health outcomes, particularly in the area of chronic disease such as asthma, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Over the past 15 years, Sinai Urban Health Institue (SUHI) has been implementing CHW interventions utilizing a systematic process for hiring, training and evaluating CHWs. CHW are hired from the communities served by the intervention, undergo a rigorous CHW Core Skills and disease-specific training and are evaluated based on job performance. This presentation will highlight
specific CHW interventions that have utilized this process, and are effectively implementing the CHW model to help community members manage their disease state. To date, the majority of SUHI’s CHW interventions have centered on healthy homes asthma management. Asthma prevalence and associated morbidity are highest among African Americans and those living below the federal poverty level, with public housing residents begin particularly affected. One of SUHI’s current asthma interventions, Helping Chicago’s Westside Adults Breathe and Thrive (HCWABT), is one of the first across the country to translate a successful CHW pediatric asthma and healthy homes intervention to adults living in Chicago’s most underserved communities, including those living in public housing. The program aims to increase asthma control, improve the home environment, and reduce asthma-related morbidity. CHWs make 5-6 home visits over the course of a year to provide comprehensive and individualized asthma education. They also conduct home environmental assessments to identify and address in-home asthma triggers, and work closely with participants, landlords and management companies to eliminate or reduce them. All data is collected by a Research Assistant and is self-reported by the participants. There are currently 202 adults enrolled in the program. Preliminary results, based on 41 participants
who have completed the program thus far, show a significant reduction in daytime symptoms (65%), nighttime symptoms (55%), and days needing rescue medication (42%). Hospitalizations have decreased by 50% and asthma-related Emergency Department visits have decreased by 57%. The results of this program not only demonstrate the effectiveness of the CHW model in improving asthma outcomes for adults, but also that the model which was proven to be effective among children also translates well to adults. Through home visits, CHWs are able to encourage and empower their participants to adopt healthier behaviors, including remediating or reducing in-home triggers to create an asthma-friendly home, in the case of asthma interventions. The CHW model is an important and cost-effective tool in improving health outcomes in both adults and children. As the association of housing and health continues to be studied, it is critical to consider the role of a CHW in eliminating barriers for patients to experience control over their disease.
specific CHW interventions that have utilized this process, and are effectively implementing the CHW model to help community members manage their disease state. To date, the majority of SUHI’s CHW interventions have centered on healthy homes asthma management. Asthma prevalence and associated morbidity are highest among African Americans and those living below the federal poverty level, with public housing residents begin particularly affected. One of SUHI’s current asthma interventions, Helping Chicago’s Westside Adults Breathe and Thrive (HCWABT), is one of the first across the country to translate a successful CHW pediatric asthma and healthy homes intervention to adults living in Chicago’s most underserved communities, including those living in public housing. The program aims to increase asthma control, improve the home environment, and reduce asthma-related morbidity. CHWs make 5-6 home visits over the course of a year to provide comprehensive and individualized asthma education. They also conduct home environmental assessments to identify and address in-home asthma triggers, and work closely with participants, landlords and management companies to eliminate or reduce them. All data is collected by a Research Assistant and is self-reported by the participants. There are currently 202 adults enrolled in the program. Preliminary results, based on 41 participants
who have completed the program thus far, show a significant reduction in daytime symptoms (65%), nighttime symptoms (55%), and days needing rescue medication (42%). Hospitalizations have decreased by 50% and asthma-related Emergency Department visits have decreased by 57%. The results of this program not only demonstrate the effectiveness of the CHW model in improving asthma outcomes for adults, but also that the model which was proven to be effective among children also translates well to adults. Through home visits, CHWs are able to encourage and empower their participants to adopt healthier behaviors, including remediating or reducing in-home triggers to create an asthma-friendly home, in the case of asthma interventions. The CHW model is an important and cost-effective tool in improving health outcomes in both adults and children. As the association of housing and health continues to be studied, it is critical to consider the role of a CHW in eliminating barriers for patients to experience control over their disease.
