Evaluation tool to assess the impact of CHWs: A community-based doula model

HealthConnect One's (HC One) leadership and training model structures ongoing, supportive relationships with women in underserved communities prenatally, during birth and into the postpartum period. HC One has implemented the community-based doula (C-BD) model for 15 years at over 40 community agencies. An important component of C-BD is community participation. Local agencies must employ women who are trusted members of the target community to serve as doulas. Doulas, as community health workers within the maternal and child health service field, provide support to mothers prenatally, during labor and birth, and postpartum.

Doula Data is a community-based data collection tool implemented by HC One in August 2009. This web-based data system measures service utilization, adherence to C-BD model and health outcomes for doula sites. Since its launch, five C-BD programs integrated Doula Data into their operations, and five programs are in the implementation phase.

Integrating Doula Data with the C-BD program provides community agencies with the capability to provide quality doula services while continuously evaluating their activities and outcomes. Doula Data has shown several positive outcomes of C-BD programs, including: improved prenatal care, fewer pre-term births, increased breastfeeding rates and more positive birth experiences.

BirthMatters, a C-BD site where doulas use iPads to access Doula Data remotely while visiting clients, will co-present with HC One. Together, we will demonstrate that implementing similar evaluation tools across sectors will allow CHWs to integrate program evaluation into services and demonstrate their impact on health outcomes within communities.