Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been used effectively to help improve a variety of health outcomes. The incidence of diabetes among U.S. adults has tripled, from 603,000 new cases in 1990 to 1,812,000 in 2009. In addition, due to continuing advancement in the field of chronic disease management, people with diabetes are living longer. This shifts public health focus from not only prevention, but to diabetes management as well. As a reflection of these developments, diabetes education and self-managed glycemic control for type 2 diabetics has been an area of specific interest for CHWs.

CHWs can effectively be used as part of multidisciplinary teams in diabetes prevention and management. CHWs, including Promotoras(es) de Salud, can be particularly useful among Hispanic populations because they can help address cultural barriers that hinder access to health information and understanding. With the incidence of diabetes increasing and improvements in medicine that allow diabetics to live longer, it is imperative to tackle the diabetes epidemic using a multi-dimensional approach that incorporates CHWs, particularly in high-risk Hispanic populations.

This free report offers an overview of the studies conducted on the effectiveness of Diabetes interventions using CHWs.