Partners in Health: A Conceptual Framework for the Role of Community Health Workers in Facilitating Patients' Adoption of Healthy Behaviors

Abstract

We formulated a conceptual framework that begins to answer the national call to improve health care access, delivery, and quality by explaining the processes through which community health workers (CHWs) facilitate patients' adoption of healthy behaviors. In September 2011 to January 2012, we conducted a qualitative study that triangulated multiple data sources: 26 in-depth interviews, training documents, and patient charts. CHWs served as partners in health to immigrant Filipinos with hypertension, leveraging their cultural congruence with intervention participants, employing interpersonal communication techniques to build trust and rapport, providing social support, and assisting with health behavior change. To drive the field forward, this work can be expanded with framework testing that may influence future CHW training and interventions.