Community Health Worker Interventions Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review

Chronic diseases disproportionately affect people facing social and economic adversity. Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly recognized as a key workforce for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). However, evidence for the effect of CHW-led interventions on social and clinical outcomes among US adults with chronic disease is limited. This systematic review evaluated the effects of CHW-led interventions on SDOH and health outcomes.

Following PRISMA guidelines and a registered Prospero protocol, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and Embase (Ovid) in April 2024 for US-based randomized or quasi-experimental studies involving adults with chronic disease and a patient-facing CHW intervention addressing at least 1 SDOH domain. Eligible studies were required to have a comparator group and report social or health outcomes. We used standardized forms to extract data and assess quality.