A Community Health Worker Home Visit Program: Facilitators and Barriers of Program Implementation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Home visit programs are crucial interventions for vulnerable populations, including those with chronic illnesses, low socioeconomic status, or limited mobility.
• Community health workers (CHWs) increasingly lead these programs, presenting unique implementation challenges.
• Understanding managerial perspectives on facilitators and barriers is essential for optimizing home visit program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify facilitators and barriers in implementing a CHW-led home visit program aimed at reducing infant mortality.
• To provide insights from a managerial perspective to inform future community health worker initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with program managers and administrators involved in the Ohio Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative.
• The study focused on identifying challenges and successes from a management standpoint.

Main Results:

• Effective CHW training, both initial and ongoing, was identified as a critical facilitator.
• Appropriate caseload management, robust communication channels, and adequate financial resources were highlighted as key factors for program success.
• Barriers often related to insufficient training, overwhelming caseloads, communication breakdowns, and funding limitations.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the importance of strategic resource allocation and support systems for CHW-led home visit programs.
• Investing in comprehensive CHW training and ensuring manageable workloads are vital for reducing infant mortality and improving health outcomes in high-risk populations.
• These insights can guide the development and refinement of future community health worker programs.