Leveraging Community Health Workers to Combat Health Misinformation in Haiti, Malawi, and Rwanda
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Mental Health
- Sponsor
- Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)
- Enrollment
- 5109
- Locations
- 3
- Primary Endpoint
- Number of Mental Health Visits/ Consultations Completed Monthly at Health Facilities
- Status
- Active, not recruiting
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
Partners In Health (PIH), in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, aims to develop and evaluate an SMS-based intervention for Community Health Workers (CHWs) to combat COVID-19 and mental health-related misinformation in Haiti, Rwanda, and Malawi. The study involves three aims: identifying locally relevant misinformation through a card-sorting exercise with CHWs, developing targeted messages through cognitive interviewing, and evaluating the effectiveness of SMS-based educational message dissemination via a randomized controlled trial. The evaluation will assess the impact on public health practices, knowledge and attitudes among CHWs, and knowledge and attitudes among community members.
Detailed Description
The intervention will involve sending SMS messages to randomized CHWs, addressing either COVID-19 or mental health misinformation. CHWs will have access to a helpline for further support and can provide feedback to refine the messaging. The evaluation will use a time series analysis to measure changes in COVID-19 vaccine administration, mental health service utilization, CHWs' knowledge and attitudes, and community members' knowledge and attitudes. The study aims to empower CHWs with accurate information, improve public health practices, and ultimately contribute to better health outcomes in the communities served by PIH. Rwanda and Haiti CHWs will receive the messages for 12 months, but Malawi CHWs will receive the messages for 6 months due to a CHW transition in country.
Investigators
Bethany Hedt-Gauthier
Principal Investigator
Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •CHWs affiliated with PIH Rwanda, Malawi, or Haiti
- •18+ years of age.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Less than 18 years old.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Number of Mental Health Visits/ Consultations Completed Monthly at Health Facilities
Time Frame: 24 months
Mental health service utilization will be measured using routinely collected data measured monthly at the health facility level
Number of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Administered Monthly at Health Facilities (if available)
Time Frame: 24 months
COVID-19 Vaccine administration will be measured using routinely collected data measured monthly at the health facility level
Number of Patients who Sought Care from Mental Health Services Monthly at Health Facilities
Time Frame: 24 months
Mental health service utilization will be measured using routinely collected data measured monthly at the health facility level
Secondary Outcomes
- Qualitative Interviews(Before, after 6 months of the intervention, and after 12 months of the intervention (only in Rwanda & Haiti))
- Cross-Sectional Survey(Before the intervention and after 12 months of the intervention (only in Rwanda & Haiti))
- Longitudinal Cohort Surveys(Before, after 6 months of the intervention, and after 12 months of the intervention (only in Rwanda & Haiti))