User Journey Mapping in Community Health Work: A Case Study From Philly CEAL

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Behavior Interventions
• Community Health

Background:

• Community health workers (CHWs) are vital links between healthcare and social support but often excluded from intervention design.
• User Journey Mapping (UJM) can improve health behavior interventions and their implementation.
• Engaging CHWs as co-designers is crucial for effective health programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To employ UJM methods to engage CHWs as co-designers in adapting a chronic disease self-management intervention.
• To promote heart health and address social needs through community-based interventions.
• To generate actionable insights for intervention refinement by integrating frontline expertise.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews (n=8) with CHWs and a supervisor.
• Co-creation of visual workflow maps detailing tasks, emotions, pain points, and opportunities.
• Synthesis and validation of individual maps into comprehensive team maps.

Main Results:

• Identified a four-part CHW process: community, case management, in-office, and supervisory duties.
• Revealed themes of specialized CHW skills, systemic workflow challenges, and emotional stressors.
• UJM generated actionable insights, positioning CHWs as expert co-designers.

Conclusions:

• Integrating frontline CHW expertise early in planning ensures efficient, attuned, and contextually grounded health programs.
• UJM is a valuable method for formative planning, intervention refinement, and evaluation.
• Methodological recommendations are proposed for embedding UJM in future public health efforts.