Networking community health workers for service integration: role of social media

Abstract

Community health workers (CHW) can play an active role in providing integrated HIV and harm reduction services. We used social media to create a virtual network among Vietnamese CHW. This paper reports CHW's social media engagement and the relationships with other workrelated indicators. Sixty CHW participated in an intervention for integrated HIV/drug use service delivery. Following two in-person sessions, Facebook groups were established for CHW to share information, seek consultation, and refer patients. CHW's levels of online engagements were tracked for six months and linked to their service provision confidence, interaction with patients and other providers, and job satisfaction. The CHW made 181 posts, which received 557 comments and 1,607 reactions during the six months. Among the 60 CHW, 22 (36.6%) had three or more posts, 19 (31.7%) had one or two posts, and 19 (31.7%) had no post. Comparing the baseline and 6-month follow-up data, we observed that those who posted three or more times showed better service provision confidence (p = 0.0081), more interaction with providers in other settings (p = 0.0071), and higher job satisfaction (p = 0.0268). Our study suggests using social media to engage CHW in virtual communications to improve service provision in communities.

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Digital Health–Enabled Community-Centered Care: Scalable Model to Empower Future Community Health Workers Using Human-in-the-Loop Artificial Intelligence

“…Although current digital technologies are demonstrating the potential to strengthen CHW capacity and quality of care [ 54 - 56 ], existing digital technologies targeted for use by CHWs lack integration. The current lack of ubiquitous, closed-loop monitoring and intervention within the CCC model restricts technologies used by CHWs to a passive, episodic, and reactive approach to client monitoring, education, and supportive care.…”

Digital Health–Enabled Community-Centered Care: Scalable Model to Empower Future Community Health Workers Using Human-in-the-Loop Artificial Intelligence (Preprint)

“…Although current digital technologies are demonstrating the potential to strengthen CHW capacity and quality of care [54][55][56], existing digital technologies targeted for use by CHWs lack integration. The current lack of ubiquitous, closed-loop monitoring and intervention within the CCC model restricts technologies used by CHWs to a passive, episodic, and reactive approach to client monitoring, education, and supportive care.…”