A Novel Electronic Record System for Documentation and Efficient Workflow for Community Health Workers: Development...

Area of Science:

• Public Health Informatics
• Community Health
• Health Equity

Background:

• Public health institutions face capacity challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Community health workers (CHWs) are vital for addressing health inequities but often lack efficient documentation systems.
• Existing systems for CHW efforts are fragmented, leading to redundancy, errors, and inefficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient data collection system for documenting diverse community-based CHW activities.
• To create a novel system that supports the daily workflow of CHWs and improves data management.

Main Methods:

• Iterative design and refinement of a novel data collection system for CHWs within the Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) project.
• Pilot testing with CHWs over several months to ensure user functionality and daily use support.
• Implementation of continuous quality improvement processes, including monthly evaluations and feedback collection from CHWs, partners, and organizations.

Main Results:

• The COPE database launched with 60 users across 20 counties, documenting over 55,000 client encounters and 2,500 community resources.
• Automated alerts and a dashboard enhance client follow-up and event management.
• Survey data revealed high user satisfaction (84% found navigation easy, 92% satisfied overall), with improvements in client engagement and resource identification.

Conclusions:

• The COPE database offers a flexible alternative to conventional electronic medical records, adaptable to evolving needs.
• It provides real-world data on CHW accomplishments, standardizing collection for enhanced monitoring and evaluation.
• This system serves as a scalable model for community-based documentation, applicable in diverse settings.