Perceptions of organizational readiness for training and implementation of clinic-based community health workers
Journal of Health Organization and Management
ISSN: 1477-7266
Article publication date: 24 June 2019
Issue publication date: 8 July 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess perceptions of organizational readiness to integrate clinic-based community health workers (cCHWs) between traditional CHWs and potential cCHW employers and their staff in order to inform training and implementation models.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional mixed-methods approach evaluated readiness to change perceptions of traditional CHWs and potential employers and their staff. Quantitative methods included a printed survey for CHWs and online surveys in Qualtrics for employers/staff. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Qualitative data were collected via focus groups and key informant interviews. Data were analyzed with NVIVO 11 Plus software.
Findings
CHWs and employers and staff were statistically different in their perceptions on appropriateness, management support and change efficacy (p<0.0001, 0.0134 and 0.0020, respectively). Yet, their differences lay within the general range of agreement for cCHW integration (4=somewhat agree to 6=strongly agree). Three themes emerged from the interviews which provided greater insight into their differences and commonalities: perspectives on patient-centered care, organizational systems and scope of practice, and training, experiences and expectations.
Originality/value
Community health workers serve to fill the gaps in the social and health care systems. They are an innovation as an emerging workforce in health care settings. Health care organizations need to learn how to integrate paraprofessionals such as cCHWs. Understanding readiness to adopt the integration of cCHWs into clinical settings will help prepare systems through trainings and adapting organizational processes that help build capacity for successful and sustainable integration.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Health Disparities and Minority Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award No. P20MD006988. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Special contributions by the research team: Charlotte Lewis, Jonathan Carrillo, Sarah Snyder and Marisol Lara.
Citation
Lee, L., Montgomery, S., Gamboa-Maldonado, T., Nelson, A. and Belliard, J.C. (2019), "Perceptions of organizational readiness for training and implementation of clinic-based community health workers", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 478-487. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-06-2018-0158
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited