Reconceptualizing the Role of Community Health Workers: From Advocates to Researchers

“ Partners in Action” or Patne en Aksyon in Haitian Creole represents a partnership between the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and key Haitian American community based organizations in Miami, Florida. This partnership is currently conducting a two-year study to identify determinants which may account for the excess breast cancer mortality experienced by Haitian American women living in the Miami metropolitan area. The study is grounded in the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), and study data are collected by Community Health Workers (CHWs), who are Haitian, fluent in English and Creole, and knowledgeable about Haitian community norms and customs. CHWs were trained to conduct research using a curriculum developed by the partnership's academic investigators with significant input from community members. The curriculum includes four sessions, all of which pair didactic lessons with interactive activities. Session One provides CHWs with a project overview that includes presentations from community leaders with previous research experience, who can offer specific advice about how to best engage Haitian women in research. Session Two focuses on research ethics. Session Three teaches the CHWs the fundamentals of key informant interviews and community mapping as well as the necessary techniques for adequately collecting and managing such data. Session Four instructs the CHWs on taking field notes and conduct rapid assessment surveys. Our limited evaluation of this curriculum suggests that it is a useful tool for training CHWs about research and data collection, and may be effective for other CBPR initiatives incorporating CHWs into study design.