SynthesisJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2021
Community health worker interventions for older adults with complex health needs: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Factors Influencing Community Members' Perception of Primary Health Care Services Delivered by Community Health Workers in Rural Areas: A Systematic Review.The Australian journal of rural health · 2026Pooled it
- How is Telehealth Used to Increase Access to Specialty Palliative Care? A Systematic Review.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2025Pooled it
- Combined Psychoeducational and Exercise Training Intervention to Improve Mental Health and Physical Functioning in Late-Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2026Trial
- Community-embedded follow-up management intervention for geriatric primary care: a mixed-methods study of an integrated health services model.BMC health services research · 2024Trial
- Effect of a Peer Health Coaching Intervention on Clinical Outcomes Among US Veterans With Cardiovascular Risks: The Vet-COACH Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2023Trial
- Effectiveness of a mHealth intervention on hypertension control in a low-resource rural setting: A randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in public health · 2023Trial
- Baseline health-related quality of life predicts falls: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2022Trial
- HealthCare Complexity Index (HCIn): A Clinical Decision-Making Tool for Primary Care.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Population-oriented health promotion and disease prevention interventions in primary healthcare: a scoping review of reviews.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Influenza Vaccine Uptake in the Elderly: Biopsychosocial Vulnerabilities and Effectiveness of a Community-Health Worker Administered Preventive Program.Journal of community health · 2026Article
- Care for deficits in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL and unmet care needs among Austrians aged 65 and over.Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2026Article
- Evaluating a 30-Hour Training Program for Community Health Workers on 4Ms Implementation in FQHCs Using the Kirkpatrick Model.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- Protocol for VetASSIST: A randomized controlled trial to evaluate virtual peer health coaching for veterans with multimorbidity.Contemporary clinical trials · 2025Article
- Addressing Digital Disparities in Alzheimer Disease by Improving Access to Alzheimer Resources for Spanish-Speaking Latino or Latina Individuals in Los Angeles County: Mixed Methods Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Achieving epilepsy care for all: Ecosystem-based transformation.Epilepsia · 2025Review
- Digital technologies-enhanced older adults health management: developing a five-dimensional extension of social learning theory for community settings.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Life satisfaction among older adults in China: who gains more from community-based health services?Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Bridging communities, prevention, and heart health: U.S. strategies for CHW cardiovascular training and integration.Frontiers in epidemiology · 2025Review
- Training healthcare professionals in assessment of health needs in older adults living at home: a scoping review.BMC medical education · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesThe number of older adults with complex health needs is growing, and this population experiences disproportionate morbidity and mortality. Interventions led by community health workers (CHWs) can improve clinical outcomes in the general adult population with multimorbidity, but few studies have investigated CHW-delivered interventions in older adults.
designWe systematically reviewed the impact of CHW interventions on health outcomes among older adults with complex health needs. We searched for English-language articles from database inception through April 2020 using seven databases. PROSPERO protocol registration CRD42019118761.
settingAny U.S. or international setting, including clinical and community-based settings.
participantsAdults aged 60 years or older with complex health needs, defined in this review as multimorbidity, frailty, disability, or high-utilization.
interventionsInterventions led by a CHW or similar role consistent with the American Public Health Association's definition of CHWs. MEASUREMENTS: Pre-defined health outcomes (chronic disease measures, general health measures, treatment adherence, quality of life, or functional measures) as well as qualitative findings.
resultsOf 5671 unique records, nine studies met eligibility criteria, including four randomized controlled trials, three quasi-experimental studies, and two qualitative studies. Target population and intervention characteristics were variable, and studies were generally of low-to-moderate methodological quality. Outcomes included mood, functional status and disability, social support, well-being and quality of life, medication knowledge, and certain health conditions (e.g., falls, cognition). Results were mixed with several studies demonstrating significant effects on mood and function, including one high-quality RCT, while others noted no significant intervention effects on outcomes.
conclusionCHW-led interventions may have benefit for older adults with complex health needs, but additional high-quality studies are needed to definitively determine the effectiveness of CHW interventions in this population. Integration of CHWs into geriatric clinical settings may be a strategy to deliver evidence-based interventions and improve clinical outcomes in complex older adults.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.