Progress in Community Health Partnerships-Research Education and Action最新文献

The problem: Recognizing the scale of challenges faced by the behavioral health care industry, there is a growing call to expand the utilization of community-based health workers (CBHWs). However, neglecting to fully understand the complex realities of working in these roles risks undermining the true costs and sacrifices made by CBHWs as we strive to reshape health care policies and systems.

Purpose of article: Drawing on 21 interviews we conducted with CBHWs in Rhode Island, we describe the evolving role of CBHWs within traditional health care settings and identify policy and practice implications.

Key points: CBHWs have been taking on the burden of a broken health care system while experiencing role transformation.

Conclusions: CBHW roles were designed in terms of a desired vision of the health care system-rather than the fragmented, overburdened institutional landscape that presently exists. Efforts to support CBHWs, without addressing the scale of role transformation, will continue to push much of the day-to-day labor underground.

Background: The development of the Richmond Brain Health Initiative (RBHI) was guided by the need to address local brain health service gaps to improve Alzheimer's/Dementia health disparities in racially diverse communities. This paper describes the establishment of RBHI through 1) community and provider stakeholder input and 2) community brain health screening/intake development and testing.

Methods: Phase 1 involved provider and community stakeholder questionnaires to gather feedback as part of the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. Subsequently, stakeholder findings directed the RBHI structure and screening/intake registration testing in the community.

Results: Based on the stakeholder responses from fifteen providers and twenty community members, there was strong consensus in the need for local brain health services. The most highly recommended screening needs were for caregiving, cognitive status, and lifestyle risks. Thereafter the RBHI screening/intake was developed and completed by 45 community participants. Participants showed hypertension (62%) as the most prevalent brain health risk factor, followed by depression/anxiety (56%), and loneliness (44%). The intake also indicated cognitive and functional deficits, with the Montreal Cognitive mean equaling 18.4 and the Functional Activities mean equaling 14.9. Additionally, 73% of participants reported experiencing subjective cognitive decline.

Conclusions: This study showcases a model for promoting brain health in racially diverse communities to improve access to Alzheimer's disease and related dementia resources and services.

Introduction: This paper describes and evaluates the COVAX educational program for Vaccine Acceptance and Access Lives in Unity, Engagement, and Education, Baltimore's vaccine peer ambassador (VPA) initiative, which served to engage the community (including those resistant to vaccination) and increase community knowledge of COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: A mixed methods approach was used to describe the effectiveness of the education program for VPA and coordinators. We surveyed VPAs to determine the impact of training and perceived influence in the community. In April and May 2022, we conducted four focus groups of VPAs and coordinators to gain further insights into survey responses.

Results: The engaged approach used in training allowed for a forum where VPAs and coordinators could share their experiences in the field and participate in the learning process. 82% of VPAs and coordinators indicated that they found the training extremely or very useful and 72% perceived their impact in the community to be high. Overall, 53% of VPAs and coordinators felt they were heard and understood by the administrators of the project.

Conclusions: The educational component of the VPA initiative used a variety of pedagogical approaches and allowed for the engagement of VPAs and coordinators. This engaged approach assisted in not only increasing scientific knowledge about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination, but also built trust within a diverse group of VPAs, coordinators, and trainers.

Background: The engagement of youth in research is a fundamental and strategic shift towards cultivating a more inclusive research team. Although approaches to research have evolved to involve youth in research, there remains part of the research process in which their involvement is lacking, the writing process for manuscripts and publications.

Methods: The Flint Public Health Youth Academy Youth Writing Model described in this article combines the Youth Empowerment Theory with the Continuum of Community Engagement to produce six key domains identified by youth for scientific writing. This model includes a framework that ensures equitable engagement and decision making for youth in the writing process and is supported by effective mentorship.

Conclusion: Youth engagement in the writing process prepares youth for success in scientific career field trajectories and increases the potential for workforce development.

Background: Through existing community partnerships, our team supported conduct of the Worcester Community Food Assessment by partnering to support rapid qualitative research and analysis.

Objective: We documented our rapid research and analysis process through qualitative interviews to develop a model for conducting community-partnered qualitative research and identify key lessons learned.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with all participants involved in the qualitative component of the Worcester Community Food Assessment and used rapid qualitative methods to analyze participant interview data.

Results: We distilled the process into five steps with clearly defined roles for academic and community partners. These steps closely mirror the steps through which academic research is conducted and highlight the key ways that community and academic partners can lend expertise, ultimately building research capacity for all involved.

Conclusion: We believe this model can be used by teams to conduct community-academic partnered research that will advance health equity by incorporating lived experience and professional expertise of community partners.

Background: Ten percent to 15% of pregnant and postpartum people experience perinatal depression (PND). Despite high PND prevalence, limited access to treatment remains. Barriers to care are exacerbated in under-resourced, rural communities. Technology-assisted PND treatments can increase access to care; however, treatment tailoring is critical to enhance engagement and improve outcomes.

Objectives: Explore partner perspectives of a technology-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy-based PND treatment to identify tailoring needs and increase treatment acceptability among perinatal clients served by a rural Michigan Head Start program.

Methods: Through a community-university partnership, partners were invited to participate in six focus group sessions. Partners reviewed the technology-assisted treatment and were asked to (1) share perspectives and reactions, (2) identify gaps in content, and (3) provide suggestions for modifications of visual and text-based elements. Research team members facilitated focus groups and took detailed field notes during each session. Thematic analysis of field notes was conducted by two independent coders.

Results: Two core themes were identified: (1) connection between treatment and lived experience and (2) the power of positive affirmations and motivational statements. Partners identified the need for the intervention to reflect and incorporate content related to these core themes to be relevant and acceptable for perinatal clients in this community.

Conclusions: Findings are consistent with existing research suggesting treatment tailoring is essential to enhancing engagement. Community-engaged research is critical for meaningful treatment tailoring that maximizes relevance and acceptability for underserved perinatal people. Study implications suggest the importance of designing technology-assisted treatments that allow for low-cost, efficient tailoring while retaining core, evidence-based content.

Background: Women leaving incarceration face numerous barriers to reentry, including lack of social support, mental health conditions, and trauma.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of developing and implementing a peer-support group by and for formerly incarcerated women (FIW).

Methods: A draft peer support curriculum was developed and refined based on a focus group with FIW. The program was implemented and participants engaged in a follow-up focus group to provide feedback.

Results: Participants reported several benefits of participation, positive experiences regarding program logistics and content, and they valued having an FIW as the facilitator.

Conclusions: A peer support intervention by and for FIW was well-received. Additional research is needed to assess whether such an intervention can improve mental health among FIW.

Background: The Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative partners community, professional, and academic institutions to address cancer health inequity in Chicago. Its Outreach Core focuses on the development and sustainability of the community partnerships.

Objectives: A key annual event is the Community Forum. This paper describes the processes, challenges, opportunities, and strategies used to transition from an in-person to a virtual format in 2020 and 2021 and a hybrid model in 2022.

Methods: Community-driven participatory and capacity-building approaches were used in planning and executing the forums. Post-forum survey data were used to assess audiences' perceived experiences.

Results: The inclusive, detailed planning led to high levels of engagement. Although the majority preferred in-person, a third preferred virtual or either.

Conclusions: Strong partnership is key to success in the complex planning and implementing of community activities regardless of delivery format. The hybrid model worked well, but overall the attendees preferred in-person speakers.