Key informants' perspectives on integrating community health workers into palliative care teams

Taleaa Masroor¹, Shannon Fuller², Olivia Monton^{1

3

4}, Mahtab Vasigh¹, Alison P Woods^{1

5}, Amn Siddiqi¹, Tracy B Malone¹, Robert Joyner⁶, Ronit Elk⁷, Jill Owczarzak², Fabian M Johnston⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
³ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
⁶ TidalHealth Richard A. Henson Research Institute, Salisbury, MD, USA.
⁷ University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
⁸ Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

PMID: 40201641
PMCID: PMC11975775
DOI: 10.1017/cts.2024.660

Key informants' perspectives on integrating community health workers into palliative care teams

Taleaa Masroor et al. J Clin Transl Sci. 2025.

. 2025 Jan 22;9(1):e48.

doi: 10.1017/cts.2024.660. eCollection 2025.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
³ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
⁶ TidalHealth Richard A. Henson Research Institute, Salisbury, MD, USA.
⁷ University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA.
⁸ Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

PMID: 40201641
PMCID: PMC11975775
DOI: 10.1017/cts.2024.660

Abstract

Introduction: Disparities in access to palliative care persist, particularly among underserved populations. We elicited recommendations for integrating community health workers (CHWs) into clinical care teams, by exploring perspectives on potential barriers and facilitators, ultimately aiming to facilitate equitable access to palliative care.

Materials and methods: Twenty-five stakeholders were recruited for semi-structured interviews through purposive snowball sampling at three enrollment sites in the USA. Interviews were conducted to understand perspectives on the implementation of a CHW palliative care intervention for African American patients with advanced cancer. After transcription, primary and secondary coding were conducted. Framework analysis was utilized to refine the data, clarify themes, and generate recommendations for integrating CHWs into palliative care teams.

Results: Our sample comprised 25 key informants, including 6 palliative care providers, 6 oncologists, 5 cancer center leaders, 2 cancer care navigators, and 6 CHWs. Thematic analysis revealed five domains of recommendations: (1) increasing awareness and understanding of the CHW role, (2) improving communication and collaboration, (3) ensuring access to resources, (4) enhancing CHW training, and (5) ensuring leadership support for integration. Informants shared barriers, facilitators, and recommendations within each domain based on their experiences.

Conclusion: Barriers to CHW integration within palliative care teams included limited awareness of the CHW role and inadequate training opportunities, alongside practical and logistical challenges. Conversely, promoting CHW engagement, providing adequate training, and ensuring support from leadership have the potential to aid integration.

Keywords: Palliative care; community health workers; end-of-life care; health disparities; patient-centered care.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests to disclose.

Figures

**Figure 1.**
**Results summary.** CHW = community health worker.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Key informants' perspectives on integrating community health workers into palliative care teams

Affiliations

Key informants' perspectives on integrating community health workers into palliative care teams

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Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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