A CHW Intervention to Identify and Decrease Barriers to COVID 19 Testing & Vaccination

Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Community Health Workers; COVID-19 Testing; Vaccine Hesitancy

Treatments: Behavioral: Community Health Worker led curriculum

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05473936

1838914-5

3R01LM012309-04S2 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study is to compare the results of a COVID-19 specific curriculum led by LACDHS Community Health Workers (CHWs) from these same communities of safety-net patients to effectively increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination for individual patients, and to facilitate needed healthcare in a timely manner for the safety net health system, and to develop a sustained public health presence in these communities to build trust and preparedness for critical COVID-19 related future needs.

Full description

This study represents the third aim of a grant with three aims. The study used unsupervised machine learning and qualitative interviews to develop a CHW intervention for this aim. The aim will compare and evaluate a Community Health Worker-led curriculum aimed to identify and address barriers to COVID-19 testing and vaccination among LACDHS safety-net patients.

For the study, the investigators will recruit 66 eligible safety-net patients for a COVID-19 specific curriculum, provided by Community Health Workers at Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. The study will take place remotely over the course of 6-weeks. Utilizing a randomized control design among African American and Latinx safety net patients, will assess the effect of the CHW hypothesis-driven intervention on trust, self-efficacy, and intent to participate in COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

The remote CHW intervention that the study participants will participate in and be compensated for is a pilot program intended to provide additional CHW training. Monthly calls from LACDHS to remind them of COVID-19 vaccination are standard of care for all empaneled LACDHS patients.

Enrollment: 66 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 16 years and older
• Self-identify as African American or Latinx
• English Speaking
• Receives primary or specialty care treatment at an LACDHS facility
• Has either not completed lab orders for COVID-19 testing and/or vaccination at an LACDHS facility
• Have reliable internet access

Exclusion criteria

• Not meeting the inclusion criteria listed above

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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66 participants in 2 patient groups

Control Arm - Standard Treatment (Group 1)

No Intervention group

Description:

The standard care for the control arm will be: the LACDHS Vaccine Hesitancy Outreach Group calling patients once every month to remind patients of the need to be vaccinated and tested if needed. During the duration of the six weeks, the study participants will be exposed to the call from the LACDHS Vaccine Hesitancy Outreach Group. Participants will receive two phone calls six-weeks apart, where they will complete a pre-survey in the first phone call, and 2 surveys (post-survey and CDE survey) in the second phone call. The survey will measure their trust in medical institutions, rate their self-efficacy, and intention, knowledge, and perceptions on COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

Intervention Arm - CHW-led curriculum (Group 2)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to the intervention group will complete the same activities as Group 1 and be asked to participate in the virtual intervention, consisting of six-weekly group classes via Zoom, and six-weekly personalized teleconsultations (via phone call or Zoom) at a suitable time for both participants and CHWs. Study participants will receive 6 linguistically and ethnically concordant weekly two-hour group classes and personalized teleconsultations led by CHWs. The total time commitment for Group 2 will be a maximum of 20 hours (6 two-hour group classes, + 6 one hour personal session, + 2 half hour phone calls), over the next 6 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Community Health Worker led curriculum