Perceptions of a Community Health Worker Home Deployment Intervention on Diabetes Management: Project PEACH Community Study
Abstract
The Project PEACH Community Study, conducted in partnership with the Albany Area Primary Health Care in Southwest Georgia, implemented a Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention. CHW interventions have been successful at increasing healthcare access and improving self-management behaviors for individuals with diabetes. This purpose of this study was to assess participants’ perceived improvements in diabetes self-management behaviors resulting from their participation in the CHW Community Home Visit Education Program. To qualify for the CHW Community Study, participants had to self-identify as Black or Hispanic, be aged18-50 years, have a previous diabetes diagnosis, and recent out-of-range blood glucose results in their electronic medical records. Former participants were invited for post-intervention interviews, where their perspectives on weekly home visits, the diabetes health education curriculum, and their designated CHW were discussed. Informed consent was obtained before participants completed 30–60-minute interviews conducted via Zoom. The 10 participants (8-women and 2-men) had a mean age of 39.4 years (SD=8.87). The participants expressed unanimous willingness to participate in the program again and felt it helped improve their diabetes self-management behaviors. Participants reported that the CHWs’ responsiveness and knowledgeable support was valuable and contributed to their overall satisfaction. Despite varied initial expectations, participants reported that the program either met or exceeded their expectations. Lastly, participants reported gaining a greater understanding of needed dietary changes from the program's curriculum. The program garnered a positive response, with participants' perceiving improved diabetes self-management and knowledge. The CHW’s role in fostering behavioral changes supports their potential integration into healthcare practices, particularly for individuals with uncontrolled diabetes. Interviews highlighted a significant knowledge gap pertaining to dietary choices, calling for emphasis on nutritional education in future programs. Next steps include examining pre/post intervention changes in clinical outcomes.
Keywords
rural health, community health worker (CHW), community health worker (CHW) intervention, diabetes, diabetes health education, healthcare access, self-management behaviors
Perceptions of a Community Health Worker Home Deployment Intervention on Diabetes Management: Project PEACH Community Study
The Project PEACH Community Study, conducted in partnership with the Albany Area Primary Health Care in Southwest Georgia, implemented a Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention. CHW interventions have been successful at increasing healthcare access and improving self-management behaviors for individuals with diabetes. This purpose of this study was to assess participants’ perceived improvements in diabetes self-management behaviors resulting from their participation in the CHW Community Home Visit Education Program. To qualify for the CHW Community Study, participants had to self-identify as Black or Hispanic, be aged18-50 years, have a previous diabetes diagnosis, and recent out-of-range blood glucose results in their electronic medical records. Former participants were invited for post-intervention interviews, where their perspectives on weekly home visits, the diabetes health education curriculum, and their designated CHW were discussed. Informed consent was obtained before participants completed 30–60-minute interviews conducted via Zoom. The 10 participants (8-women and 2-men) had a mean age of 39.4 years (SD=8.87). The participants expressed unanimous willingness to participate in the program again and felt it helped improve their diabetes self-management behaviors. Participants reported that the CHWs’ responsiveness and knowledgeable support was valuable and contributed to their overall satisfaction. Despite varied initial expectations, participants reported that the program either met or exceeded their expectations. Lastly, participants reported gaining a greater understanding of needed dietary changes from the program's curriculum. The program garnered a positive response, with participants' perceiving improved diabetes self-management and knowledge. The CHW’s role in fostering behavioral changes supports their potential integration into healthcare practices, particularly for individuals with uncontrolled diabetes. Interviews highlighted a significant knowledge gap pertaining to dietary choices, calling for emphasis on nutritional education in future programs. Next steps include examining pre/post intervention changes in clinical outcomes.
