Culturally Competent Community Health Workers Improve Outcomes and Reduce Inpatient Utilization Among Inner-City HIV/AIDS Patients

Culturally Competent Community Health Workers Improve Outcomes and Reduce Inpatient Utilization Among Inner-City HIV/AIDS Patients


Snapshot
Summary
The Prevention and Access to Care and Treatment (PACT) project is a community-based program in inner-city Boston committed to improving health outcomes for underserved HIV-positive individuals. Specially trained community health workers deliver culturally competent, home-based support services to help patients prioritize their health care concerns, adhere to medication schedules and medical appointments, communicate with providers, and negotiate complex social issues, such as poverty and substance abuse, that negatively affect their ability to manage their disease. Program participants have significantly reduced their HIV viral load and inpatient utilization and costs. Most patients stay in the program, and clinicians report high levels of satisfaction with the services provided by the community health workers.

See the References/Related Articles section for new publications, the Results section for updated analysis data, and the Use By Other Organizations section for updated information on PACT's current partnerships (updated October 2009).

Evidence Rating
Moderate: The evidence consists of pre- and post-implementation comparisons of viral loads and inpatient utilization and costs, along with post-implementation data on retention and anecdotal reports on provider satisfaction.

Developing Organizations
Brigham and Women's Hospital; Partners in Health


Date First Implemented
1998

Patient Population
Geographic Location > City; Race and Ethnicity > Black or African American; Hispanic/Latino-Latina; Vulnerable Populations > Co-occuring disorders; Homeless; Immigrants; Impoverished; Medically or socially complex; Non-English speaking/limited English proficiency; Racial minorities; Substance abusers; Urban populations

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