Development of a Novel Electronic Record System for Documentation and Efficient Workflow for Community Health Workers

Abstract

Community health workers (CHWs) can be a crucial extension of public health resources to address health inequities, but systems to document CHW efforts are often fragmented and prone to unneeded redundancy, errors, and inefficiency. We sought to develop a more efficient data collection system for recording the wide range of community-based efforts performed by CHWs. The Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) project is an initiative to address health disparities across Kansas, in part, through the deployment of CHWs. Our team iteratively designed and refined the features of a novel data collection systems for CHWs. Pilot tests with CHWs occurred over several months to ensure the functionality supported their daily use and to identify areas for improvement. At launch, the database had 60 active users in 20 counties. To our knowledge, this is one of the first single-platform systems allowing for the collection of information about partner organizations, community outreach events, client encounters, and progress toward client's goals. Documented client interactions begin with needs assessments (modified versions of the Arizona Self-sufficiency Matrix and PRAPARE) and continue with longitudinal tracking of progress toward goals. A user-specific automated alerts-based dashboard displays clients needing follow-up and upcoming events. Our database extends beyond conventional electronic medical records and provides flexibility for ever-changing needs. The COPE Database provides real-world data on CHW accomplishments, improving the uniformity of data collection to enhance monitoring and evaluation. This database can serve as a model for community-based documentation systems and be adapted for use in other community settings.