Community Health Workers: An Important Asset in Hepatitis Prevention and Education

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection accounts for 50% of liver cancer cases worldwide. Unfortunately, Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) bear a disproportionate burden of this disease; many lack knowledge about HBV and have low screening and vaccination rates. In response to this disparity, the Asian Health Coalition developed the Hepatitis Education and Prevention Program using community health workers (CHWs) as vital assets to targeted underserved AAPI in metropolitan Chicago. The goals of HEPP are to provide: infrastructure and capacity, culturally appropriate outreach and education, screening and vaccinations, and linkage to care to the AAPI community via CHWs. Methods: A unique blend of a community partnership approach (collaboration with community partners, health care providers, and public health agencies) and the community health worker model are being used as primary delivery for the following areas: Hepatitis B awareness, education, screening, and immunization, along with patient navigation. Focus groups were conducted with CHWs to determine strengths, barriers, and lessons learned for the program. CHWs also submitted monthly reports on community members served. Results: Since the program's start, education has been delivered to nearly 8,000 individuals and Hepatitis B screenings have been provided to 3,000 persons. IAdditionally, approximately 400 doses of adult HBV vaccines have been administered to immigrant and refugee AAPI populations in Chicago. The program was expanded in 2008 to serve suburban populations in Illinois. Conclusion: This model has been proven to be an effective outreach tool to increase access to intervention components to an underserved and at-risk population.