Is Theory Guiding Our Work? A Scoping Review on the Use of Implementation Theories, Frameworks, and Models to Bring Community Health Workers into Health Care Settings.

ABSTRACT: Community health workers (CHWs) are becoming a well-recognized workforce to help reduce health disparities and improve health equity. Although evidence demonstrates the value of engaging CHWs in health care teams, there is a need to describe best practices for integrating CHWs into US health care settings. The use of existing health promotion and implementation theories could guide the research and implementation of health interventions conducted by CHWs. We conducted a standard 5-step scoping review plus stakeholder engagement to provide insight into this topic. Using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, we identified CHW intervention studies in health care settings published between 2000 and 2017. Studies were abstracted by 2 researchers for characteristics and reported use of theory. Our

SUBMITTER: Allen CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6395551 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov/Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature