Feasibility of community health workers as teleaudiology patient-site facilitators: a multilevel training study

Abstract

Objective

We evaluated the feasibility of a multi-level teleaudiology patient-site facilitator training program for Community Health Workers (CHWs) at a partnering health centre in southern Arizona.

Design

Three levels were offered: Introductory, with basic information on hearing loss and teleaudiology; Intermediate, on technology, team roles, and access issues; and Facilitator, on further knowledge and hands-on skills to serve as patient-site facilitators in synchronous hearing aid service delivery. Six domains of feasibility were addressed using a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data included survey responses and observation of hands-on skills. Qualitative data included field notes from group discussion and open-ended survey questions, and were analysed using CHW core competencies.

Study sample

Twelve CHWs participated in the introductory training, ten moved on to intermediate, and three continued to the facilitator.

Results

Quantitative outcomes indicated that the trainings were feasible according to each of the six domains. CHWs in the facilitator training passed the practical hands-on skill assessment. Qualitative analyses revealed CHWs comments addressed eight of the ten possible CHW core competencies, and focussed on service coordination/navigation, and capacity building.

Conclusions

Teleaudiology trainings for CHWs were feasible, increasing service capacity for a potential pathway to improve access to hearing health care in low-resource areas.

Keywords:

• Tele-audiology/Tele-health
• Community Health Workers/education
• Community Health Workers/standards
• training
• inservice training
• access to health services

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Community Health Workers for their commitment to supporting the health of their communities, and for their collaboration on this ongoing project. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or other funders. This research represents part of a PhD dissertation by the first author at the University of Arizona.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Research in this publication was funded with support by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health (NIDCD/NIH) under Award Number F32DC017081, the Arizona Telemedicine Program, Sertoma, and the Arizona Community Foundation.