Screening and Health Educator Model

In this model, community health workers (CHWs) conduct health screening and testing and deliver health education to community members. CHWs may provide health education about disease prevention and healthy behaviors. Examples of health education topics addressed by CHWs may include:

Chronic disease management and prevention, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes
Nutrition and obesity prevention
Physical activity
Stress management
Tobacco use and smoking cessation
Pesticide safety and environmental hazards

Examples of health screening and testing CHWs may provide and facilitate include:

Blood pressure
Blood glucose
Body mass index (height and weight)
Cancer
Cholesterol
Infectious disease

CHWs may also deliver health education to increase screening awareness. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of engaging CHWs for diabetes prevention and management, cardiovascular disease prevention, and screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer. This includes interventions that have engaged CHWs as health education providers.

In this model, CHWs often work bidirectionally with healthcare providers about community needs, bridging cultural gaps between providers and communities.

Examples of Rural Screening and Health Education Models

In Ely, Minnesota, through the Northern Lights Clubhouse (NLC), a CHW referred to as a "care facilitator" provides outreach and follow-up services to connect behavioral health clients to a community care team. The CHW develops educational programming, provides employment support, and works to reduce isolation among clients.
Community health representatives at the Laguna Pueblo in Laguna, New Mexico implement the Tribal Home Based Kidney Care Project to conduct screenings and provide health education to community members with diabetes who are at increased risk or have started experiencing kidney disease related to their diabetes.
A program implemented in three frontier counties in north central Idaho, originally called The Health-able Communities Program, utilizes CHWs to deliver disease screening and health education services, with the goal of addressing healthcare needs and drivers of health. CHWs coordinate and deliver screenings, including for diabetes, body mass index, and blood pressure, and organize community education events.
The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center operates a CHW-led Self-Management Blood Pressure program in rural northeast Texas. The program addresses hypertension among community members. CHWs provide workshops, follow-ups, and feedback in conjunction with physicians to teach participants how to monitor their own blood pressure and understand health risks.

Implementation Considerations

Ensuring CHWs receive adequate training is essential to effective delivery of screening, testing, and health education. CHWs often participate in training to enhance their knowledge and skills in providing health education that is effective and tailored to the populations they serve. For example, CHW programs serving populations in tribal or border communities must ensure their workers deliver health education and nutrition information that reflects community values, experiences, and beliefs.

CHWs conducting outreach, such as home visiting, require additional training to understand the scope of their work, emergency procedures, and safety protocols for themselves and their patients. Similarly, CHWs providing screening and testing services often require technical skills training.

Program Clearinghouse Examples

Resources to Learn More

Complementary Roles and Training of Health Education Specialists & Community Health Workers
Document
Compares the education and training, roles, and skills between health education specialists and CHWs in their work to address healthcare needs and strengthen individual and community capacity through patient and community education, patient navigation, referrals, social support, and advocacy.
Organization(s): Society for Public Health Education
Date: 08/2018

Resources for Community Health Workers
Website
Offers health information on chronic diseases, including asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Offers guidance for CHWs delivering health education to community members.
Organization(s): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention