| Summary |
Evidence suggests that the role of community health workers (CHWs) continues to evolve in support of the demand to address social determinants of health, prevention, cost, and population health. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to characterize the difference in CHWs' perceived ability to work on interprofessional teams in a clinical setting based on their years of experience in the field (>5 years). The study measured attitudes, experiences, and behaviors regarding interprofessional roles, using a validated and published instrument (n=131). Qualitative data, using an open-ended question, examined the CHW's experience navigating power structures, cultural barriers, and hierarchy (n=80). Boundary Spanning Leadership (BSL), a conceptual framework, was piloted as an intervention to support augmenting the current skills of CHWs in a small subsample. The BSL training focused on interprofessional communication, one of four competencies in the interprofessional collaborative domain. Results indicated that participants with five or more years of experience as CHWs were more likely to report stronger (positive) behaviors in interprofessional collaboration. The results indicated that there was no significant difference between the attitudes of the CHWs of those with less than 5 years' experience (M = 12.44, SD = 3.07) and those with five or more years of experience (M = 11.36, SD = 3.1), p = 0.06. Those CHWs with less than 5 years of experience (M = 16.46, SD = 4.30) had significantly higher mean values for behavior (less positive behaviors) toward interprofessional collaboration regarding the healthcare team than their counterparts with five or more years of experience (M = 13.98, SD = 4.06), t(120) = 3,134, p = 0.002. Modest but non-significant differences in these parameters were noted by age (older vs. younger), race (Black/Hispanic vs. White), and geography (urban vs. rural). The results of the pilot study indicated that there was no significant difference between the attitudes or behaviors at pre-training (Pre-training Attitude = M = 13.000, SD = 2.582 and Behavior =M = 15.846, SD = 3.716)) and post training (Post-training Attitude = M = 12.46, SD = 2.57 and Behavior = M = 15.462, SD = 5.85, t(12) = .65, p = .528 and t(12) = .26, p = .80). Findings from this study inform hiring, training, onboarding, and evaluating CHW performance. |
