A pilot study of Trabajadora de salud, a lay health worker intervention for Latinas/os with traumatic brain injuries and their caregivers.
BACKGROUND
Latinas/os with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and their caregivers experience worse outcomes than others.


OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to assess the acceptability and promise of Trabajadora de Salud on the functional abilities, hospital readmission, rehabilitation, employment, depression, somatic symptoms, and caregiver burden among Latinas/os with TBIs and their caregivers.


METHODS
A pre-posttest experimental pilot study was conducted. A total of eight Latina/o adult patients (50% female) with mild or moderate TBI and six of their caregivers (66.7% female) were randomized to receive Trabajadora de Salud or a telephone only control group. Trabajadora de Salud, a three-month, in-home intervention administered by bilingual lay health workers, focused on: 1) providing empathy and validation of TBI symptoms, 2) addressing basic needs, 3) goal setting, and 4) improving communication with healthcare providers.


RESULTS
Trabajadora de Salud was widely accepted by patients, caregivers, and health professionals. The functional, depression, and somatic symptoms of the patients as well as the somatic symptoms and caregiver burden of the caregivers improved more for participants in the intervention group than the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Trabajadora de Salud demonstrated promise in improving outcomes of Latinas/os with TBIs and their caregivers and should be further studied.
['Linton|Kristen F|KF|', 'Kim|Bum Jung|BJ|']
D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000328:Adult D001290:Attitude D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic D002140:California D017028:Caregivers D003142:Communication D003150:Community Health Workers D054521:Cultural Competency D003695:Delivery of Health Care D003863:Depression D006233:Disabled Persons D004645:Empathy D005190:Family D005260:Female D006040:Goals D006630:Hispanic or Latino D006699:Home Care Services D006801:Humans D007802:Language D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D015397:Program Evaluation D055815:Young Adult
Trabajadora Lay health worker Traumatic brain injury Brain injury Hispanic Latino