Working with Community Health Workers for Improved Clinical Care: Overview of Development and Outcomes of a Unique Project ECHO Series

Problem: Maine has seen an influx of immigrants in recent years. Many of these people face numerous barriers to accessing health care. Community health workers (CHWs) are trusted liaisons who help bridge the gaps in care. However, they are newly embedded in the MaineHealth system, so education for care teams is needed. Approach: Using coproduction, our team developed a unique Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) series that centered community members and CHWs as subject matter experts. A community advisory board guided session development. Participants, interprofessional care team members across MaineHealth, completed questionnaires after each session to rate pre-session and post-session knowledge and confidence in working with CHWs on a Likert scale. Primary outcomes were changes in self-reported knowledge and confidence after the sessions. Outcomes: A total of 19 sessions were held. The sessions were attended by a wide range of care team members in clinical and non-clinical roles. Applicability of information to participants was high at 4.3/5. The averages of self-reported knowledge and confidence both increased significantly (P < .0001) between the pre-session and post-session. Next Steps: The Project ECHO format supported coproduction and was an effective way to increase knowledge and confidence about immigrant health and working with immigrant communities. Our unique Project ECHO focused on meeting the needs of recent immigrants in Maine, provided a successful educational model for care teams, and ensured that our team amplified the voices and actual needs of the community. The next steps include creating a collaborative community health ECHO with academic and clinical partners across the state with a similar evaluation.