A new study looked at how Latino people with kidney failure experienced help from community health workers—people from their own communities trained to provide support. The research found that these health workers built strong, trusting relationships with patients by understanding their lives, helping them navigate the complicated healthcare system, teaching them in their own language, and giving them the confidence to manage their own care. Twenty-four Latino dialysis patients shared their experiences, and they reported feeling more supported, less stressed about money and food, and better able to stick to their treatment plans. This study shows that having someone who understands your culture and speaks your language can make a real difference in managing a serious illness like kidney failure.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How Latino people with kidney failure felt about working with community health workers who helped them manage their disease and navigate the healthcare system.
  • Who participated: Twenty-four Latino adults (13 men and 11 women, average age 56) who were receiving dialysis treatment at clinics in Denver, Colorado. All participants were part of a program called Navigate-Kidney that provided them with a community health worker.
  • Key finding: Patients reported that community health workers helped them in four main ways: building trust through personal connection, helping them deal with money and insurance problems, teaching them about their health in their own language and culture, and giving them confidence to manage their own care. Patients also showed they were better at controlling their weight between dialysis sessions, which is a sign they were managing their disease better.
  • What it means for you: If you or a loved one has kidney failure and speaks Spanish, having a community health worker from your own background may help you feel more supported, understand your treatment better, and stick to your care plan. This approach appears to work especially well for Latino communities, though more research is needed to see if it works for other groups.

The Research Details

This was a qualitative study, which means researchers asked people questions and listened to their stories rather than just measuring numbers. Twenty-four Latino patients who were part of the Navigate-Kidney program sat down for one-on-one interviews between November 2020 and August 2022. They talked about their experiences working with community health workers. The interviews were recorded, written down, and carefully analyzed to find common themes and patterns in what people said.

The researchers used a method called ‘deductive thematic analysis,’ which means they looked for specific patterns they expected to find based on previous research, but they also stayed open to new patterns that emerged from what people actually said. This approach helps researchers understand not just what happened, but how people felt about what happened and why it mattered to them.

This type of study is especially valuable for understanding patient experiences because it captures the human side of healthcare—the emotions, challenges, and victories that numbers alone cannot show.

Understanding how patients experience a healthcare program is just as important as measuring whether it works. A treatment might improve health numbers, but if patients don’t like it or can’t stick with it, it won’t help in real life. By listening to what patients actually experienced, researchers can figure out what parts of the program work best and how to improve it for the future. This is especially important for Latino communities, who often face unique challenges like language barriers, financial stress, and difficulty navigating the healthcare system.

This study has several strengths: it was published in a respected medical journal (JAMA Network Open), it included a diverse group of real patients, and the researchers carefully analyzed what people said using a systematic method. However, the study only included 24 people from one city (Denver), so the results may not apply to all Latino communities or other groups. The study was also done during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected people’s experiences. Additionally, this study only tells us what patients experienced—it doesn’t prove that the program caused the improvements in their health.

What the Results Show

Patients described four main ways the community health workers helped them. First, the workers built trust by getting to know each patient personally, showing empathy for their struggles, and being consistent and reliable. Patients felt that the workers truly understood what they were going through because many workers had similar backgrounds and experiences.

Second, the workers helped patients deal with real-life problems that made managing their kidney disease harder. These included problems with health insurance, not having enough money for food, stress about paying bills, and difficulty getting to appointments. By helping with these practical problems, the workers made it easier for patients to focus on their health.

Third, the workers taught patients about their disease and treatment in ways that made sense to them. They spoke Spanish, explained things in simple terms, and gave advice about food and fluids that fit with Latino culture and family traditions. This made patients feel respected and understood.

Fourth, the workers helped patients feel more confident and in control of their own care. They encouraged patients to think about options like transplants or different types of dialysis, helped them stick to their medications, and gave them tools to manage their diet and fluid intake. Patients reported feeling more empowered to make decisions about their health.

Beyond these four main themes, patients also mentioned that the community health workers helped them coordinate care with different doctors and specialists, which can be confusing when you have kidney failure. The workers also helped patients understand and remember important health numbers and information. Patients appreciated that the workers relieved stress by handling paperwork and administrative tasks, which can be overwhelming when you’re dealing with a serious illness. Additionally, patients reported that the program helped them attend their dialysis sessions more regularly and stick to their treatment plans better.

Previous research has shown that community health workers can help improve health outcomes for Latino patients with chronic diseases. This study adds to that research by explaining exactly how and why community health workers are helpful—it’s not just about giving medical advice, but about building relationships, understanding cultural needs, and helping with the social and financial barriers that make it hard to manage disease. The finding that patients improved their weight control between dialysis sessions (which was measured in the larger Navigate-Kidney trial) now makes more sense when we understand the personal support and practical help they received.

This study only included 24 people from Denver, Colorado, so we don’t know if the same results would happen in other cities or with other Latino communities. The study didn’t include a comparison group of patients who didn’t receive the program, so we can’t be completely sure that the program caused the improvements. The study was done during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have made people more grateful for support or changed their experiences in other ways. Additionally, patients who agreed to be interviewed may have had different experiences than those who didn’t participate. Finally, this study only looked at Latino patients, so we don’t know if the same approach would work as well for other groups.

The Bottom Line

If you are Latino and have kidney failure requiring dialysis, ask your dialysis center if they have a community health worker program like Navigate-Kidney. Working with a community health worker appears to help with managing your disease, understanding your treatment, and dealing with the stress and practical challenges that come with kidney failure. (Confidence level: Moderate—based on patient experiences and some improvement in health measures, but more research is needed.) If your dialysis center doesn’t have this program, ask if they can connect you with a Spanish-speaking patient educator or social worker who understands your cultural background.

This research is most relevant for Latino individuals with kidney failure who speak Spanish and are receiving dialysis treatment. It’s also important for healthcare providers, dialysis centers, and health systems that serve Latino communities. Family members of people with kidney failure may also find this helpful in understanding how to support their loved ones. However, this study doesn’t tell us whether the same approach would work for people from other cultural backgrounds or those who don’t speak Spanish, so more research is needed before applying these findings to other groups.

Based on the study, patients experienced benefits fairly quickly—they reported feeling more supported and confident within the timeframe of the program (which lasted several months). However, improvements in health measures like weight control between dialysis sessions may take several weeks to months to become noticeable. Building trust with a community health worker may take a few weeks, but most patients reported strong relationships developing over time.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your weight before and after dialysis sessions (interdialytic weight gain) and record it weekly in your app. This is the key measure of how well you’re managing your fluid intake between treatments. Also track whether you attended all your scheduled dialysis appointments and took all your medications as prescribed.
  • Use the app to set reminders for taking medications at the same time each day, log what you eat and drink to stay within your fluid limits, and record questions or concerns to discuss with your community health worker or doctor at your next appointment. You could also use the app to track your mood and stress levels to see if support from a community health worker helps you feel better emotionally.
  • Check your weight and appointment attendance weekly using the app. Every month, review your progress with your community health worker or healthcare team. Look for patterns—for example, do you gain less weight on weeks when you stick to your fluid limits? Use this information to adjust your approach and celebrate improvements, no matter how small.

This study describes patient experiences with a community health worker program and should not be considered medical advice. If you have kidney failure or are receiving dialysis, always follow the treatment plan recommended by your nephrologist (kidney doctor) and dialysis team. While community health worker support may be helpful, it is not a substitute for medical care from qualified healthcare providers. Talk to your doctor before making any changes to your treatment, diet, or medications. This research was conducted with Latino patients in Denver and may not apply to all individuals or communities. More research is needed to understand how well this approach works for other groups.