Patient Navigation/Community Health Workers

Community health worker and patient navigation interventions are related approaches designed to promote health and increase access to healthcare. Community health workers have assisted community members in receiving healthcare services for more than half a century and have been used both in the United States and internationally to improve care and health for individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension), promote cancer screening, and improve maternal and child health. In contrast, patient navigation programs have been implemented more recently to facilitate cancer early detection and treatment, as well as retention in HIV care and adherence to HIV treatment. There is a growing body of literature evaluating the benefit of community health worker and patient navigation interventions on health outcomes among diverse populations. This research has provided information regarding the effectiveness of these interventions in various contexts and for various health outcomes while also highlighting the need for increased research and further refinement of these programs.