Engaging Community Health Workers in PCOR to Address Health Disparities in the Context of COVID-19

Project Summary Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hispanic populations have been heavily burdened by the virus in central Pennsylvania (PA). Community health workers (CHWs) are uniquely poised to help address health problems created or exacerbated by the pandemic, as well as engage Hispanics in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) related to health disparities such as those caused by COVID-19. However, there remain several barriers preventing CHWs from engaging in PCOR, including: lack of PCOR training in CHW certification programs, lack of systems to connect CHWs with investigators interested in community-engaged research, and challenges associated with CHWs shifting to virtual work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these challenges, the project team proposes the development and implementation of an innovative PCOR and remote work training, embedded in a long-standing CHW training program and as continuing education. The team also proposes the development of necessary connections to a network of community-engaged researchers. The overarching objective is to increase the utilization of CHWs in PCOR in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to contribute to the understanding, and reduction, of health disparities among Hispanic communities.