Project MATCH: training for a promotora intervention.

PURPOSE: Adequate training and support are critical for community health workers (promotoras de salud in Spanish) to work effectively. Current literature on promotora training is limited by a focus on promotoras' knowledge and satisfaction immediately after training. The relevance of training to subsequent work performance and the need for ongoing training are rarely addressed. This article describes the training and evaluation components of a promotora intervention focused on diabetes self-management. Training Methods Project MATCH (the Mexican American Trial of Community Health Workers) is a clinical trial designed to test the effectiveness of an intensive, promotora-based intervention to improve disease self-management for Mexican Americans with diabetes. The MATCH investigators designed a multicomponent promotora training program that provided both initial and ongoing training. The investigators used multiple methods to determine promotoras' knowledge levels, initial competency in intervention delivery, and changes in this competency over time. Evaluation Methods and Results The evaluation results show that although the initial training provided a solid knowledge and skills base for the promotoras, the ongoing training was critical in helping them deal with both intervention-related and personal challenges.
CONCLUSIONS: The experiences of the MATCH study suggest that in addition to strong initial training, promotora interventions benefit from ongoing training and evaluation to ensure success.