Engaging Community Health Workers in Primary Care Practices: Provider Understanding of Roles, Benefits, and Barriers.

Abstract

Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly addressing health disparities in primary care settings; however, there is little information about how primary care practitioners (PCPs) interact with CHWs or perceive CHW roles. We examined PCP engagement with CHWs in adult primary care settings. Overall, 55% of 1504 PCPs reported working with CHWs; involvement with CHWs differed by some PCP demographic and practice-related factors. While PCPs perceived CHWs as engaging in most nationally endorsed CHW roles, they identified several barriers to integrating CHWs into care teams. Findings can inform ongoing efforts to advance health equity through integrating CHWs into primary care practices.