Document Type
Policy Brief
Publication Date
2023
Abstract
The state of West Virginia should expand the use of community health workers, particularly in rural communities, to provide better care coordination and improve access to support services for people living with and beyond cancer. While more people are surviving after cancer, over 60% of patients experience disabilities that keep them from their daily activities and nearly 40% of those suffer disability. Support services like nutrition, psychological counseling, and rehabilitation reduce disability among cancer patients; however, patients in rural community settings are often not connected to the services they need. Seventeen states have expanded use of community health workers in primary care to coordinate supportive services for individuals with complex health needs. This has increased patient access to support services and improved health outcomes for people living with chronic conditions like cancer. Integrating community health workers into primary care settings to support cancer survivors is a solution for rural West Virginia. Improving access to local community health workers will require the Department of Health and Human Resources to implement policy and environmental changes to improve the integration of community health workers in primary care.
Recommended Citation
Stout, Nicole L., "Expand Access to Community Based Support Services for Cancer Survivors" (2023). Bridge Initiative for Science and Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications. 2.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/bridge_initiative/2