Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41704156›Full record

ArticleHealth expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2026

Integrating Community Health Workers Into Clinical Settings.

Pearl A McElfish, Sara Sorrell, Luis Paganelli Marin, Judy Pile, Anna Huff, Bonnie Faitak, Sarah Moore, Amy Ayala, Sergio Bonilla, Carolina N Vargas and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Integrating Community Health Workers Into Clinical Settings.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Pearl A McElfishInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4033-6241
Sara SorrellInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
Luis Paganelli MarinInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
Judy PileArkansas Community Health Workers Association, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Anna HuffInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-3966-7627
Bonnie FaitakArkansas Center for Women and Infants' Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Sarah MooreInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
Amy AyalaInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
Sergio BonillaInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
Carolina N VargasInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
Manuel E TejadaArkansas Center for Women and Infants' Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Nicole ThorntonInstitute for Community Health Innovation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
Krista LangstonArkansas Center for Women and Infants' Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.

Funding

Expanding Translational Research in ArkansasUL1TR003107 · NCATS · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · PI JAMES, LAURA P · 2019 to 2023
$21.6M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR003107
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAs Medicaid policies continue to evolve to support Community Health Worker (CHW) services, it is important to understand the facilitators and barriers to integrating CHWs into a clinical team. This study used parallel multi-methods to understand facilitators and barriers to CHW integration.

methodsUsing parallel, multi-methods, we conducted surveys and focus groups with CHWs recruited from Arkansas. CHWs were asked to complete a survey and invited to take part in a focus group. Additional focus group participants were recruited in person and asked to complete a survey after the focus group. The survey captured respondents' demographic characteristics, employer characteristics, and items from the CHW Common Indicators Project. The focus group guide included core questions and probes to understand CHWs' perceptions of barriers and facilitators to integration into the clinical setting.

resultsA total of 57 CHWs participated in the focus groups, with 53 completing the survey. In the quantitative surveys, CHWs reported a high level of support and integration. Focus groups provided an opportunity for CHWs to discuss factors that increased or hindered their successful integration. These themes included: (1) Role Clarity, (2) Understanding Community Needs, (3) Expectations versus Reality, (4) Experiences of Onboarding into a New Organization, (5) Open Communication with Supervisors, and (6) Comradery, Collaboration, and Co-Learning.

conclusionsBy identifying the factors that support or hinder effective CHW integration, these findings can inform organizational policies and strategies aimed at optimizing CHW contributions within clinical settings. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: More than half of the authors are Community Health Workers (CHWs) and CHW supervisors. These CHWs and CHW supervisors were involved in the study design, including data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, and manuscript authorship. This approach ensures the voices of CHWs and their supervisors are integrated into every aspect of the article and allows for detailed insight from CHWs in their own words, which is essential for understanding the complex real-world dynamics influencing the integration of CHWs. This approach also allows for practical recommendations for improving the integration of CHWs.

Indexed as

Community Health WorkersPatient Care TeamAdultArkansasFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleMedicaidMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited Statesclinical settingsCommunity Health Workersintegration

Identifiers

PMID41704156
PMCPMC12914219

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.