CHWs and Data: Strengthening Community-Informed Data Collection

26 Jun, 2026

CHWs and Data: Strengthening Community-Informed Data Collection

CHW News, CHW Professional Development, CHWs, Health Equity

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are often recognized for their ability to connect individuals to care, build trust within communities, and advocate for equitable access to resources. Increasingly, CHWs also play an important role in helping health systems understand the communities they serve through data. Whether collecting information directly from residents, reviewing community assessments, or helping shape data collection tools, CHWs provide critical insight that ensures community voices are represented in decisions that impact health outcomes.

This blog focuses on CHW Strategy 5.2 from the Community Health Worker Initiative’s (CHWI) Cultivating Community Change Together Plan, which emphasizes the importance of CHWs participating in the design of accessible and equitable data collection processes. As part of CHW Outcome 5, this strategy recognizes that data is most meaningful when it is collected, interpreted, and applied in ways that reflect community realities. By involving CHWs in the development and review of data collection methods, organizations can improve participation, strengthen trust, and gather information that more accurately reflects community needs and experiences.

Designing Data Collection Processes that Reflect Community Needs

Under the Cultivating Community Change Together Plan, CHW Strategy 5.2 emphasizes that CHWs should actively participate in designing data collection processes that ensure data collection methods are accessible. This strategy builds upon the foundation established in Strategy 5.1, which focuses on helping CHWs understand the purpose, process, and outcomes of community data collection. Together, these strategies move CHWs beyond being participants in data collection and position them as contributors to how data collection systems are designed and implemented.

💡 CHW STRATEGY 5.1 CHWs receive ongoing training that includes the purpose, process, and results of community data collection

CHWs bring a unique perspective to data collection because of their trusted relationships with community members and firsthand understanding of barriers that may affect participation. Their involvement helps ensure that surveys, assessments, and other data collection tools are culturally appropriate, linguistically accessible, and responsive to community preferences.

More than one-quarter of CHWs reported actively using data collection methods such as interviews, surveys, and focus groups, with many likely engaging in multiple approaches. This level of involvement positions CHWs as valuable contributors not only to collecting data but also to interpreting Community Health Assessment (CHA) findings and helping ensure that decisions are grounded in lived community experiences. When CHW perspectives are integrated with CHA data, organizations can develop strategies that are both more accurate and more responsive to community needs.

Examples of CHW involvement in accessible data collection include:

Reviewing and piloting survey tools – CHWs can assess proposed surveys and questionnaires to identify confusing language, accessibility barriers, or questions that may not resonate with community members.
Ensuring cultural appropriateness and equity – Through lived experience and community relationships, CHWs help evaluate whether tools and processes are respectful, inclusive, and reflective of diverse populations.
Supporting translation and language access – CHWs can help ensure instruments are accurately translated into needed languages and that materials are understandable across varying literacy levels.
Developing community education materials – CHWs can create and share resources that explain the importance of data collection, how information will be used, and how participation contributes to improving health outcomes.
Providing feedback on collection activities – CHWs can identify challenges encountered during implementation and recommend adjustments that improve participation and data quality.
Supporting digital accessibility – As more organizations utilize technology-based data collection methods, CHWs can help assess whether digital tools are accessible and practical for the communities being served.

Former CHWI Health Program Manager Keila Marlin, in her article, Reclaiming the Community Health Worker in Public Health, emphasized the importance of ensuring community voices remain central to public health decision-making. Data collection processes that are designed without community input risk overlooking important perspectives and creating barriers to participation. By engaging CHWs in these processes, organizations can improve both the quality of data collected and the trust needed to collect it effectively.

From Strategy to Action: Operationalizing CHW Strategy 5.2

The Cultivating Community Change Together Plan outlines six activities that support implementation of CHW Strategy 5.2:

CHW 5.2.1 – Identify a subgroup of fellow CHWs interested in improving patient data collection processes.
CHW 5.2.2 – Create a process to review proposed tools and assess cultural appropriateness, accessibility, and equitability.
CHW 5.2.3 – Ensure accurate translation of instruments into needed languages.
CHW 5.2.4 – Develop educational materials that explain the importance of data collection and how it improves health outcomes.
CHW 5.2.5 – Provide feedback on initial community data collection activities and suggest improvements.
CHW 5.2.6 – Ensure digital tools have the capacity to support community-level data collection.

💡 CHW STRATEGY 5.2 CHWs participate in designing data collection processes that ensure data collection methods are accessible.

Examples of operationalizing these activities include:

Establishing CHW review committees to evaluate surveys and assessment tools before implementation.
Incorporating accessibility and equity reviews into data collection planning processes.
Creating multilingual educational materials that explain why data collection matters.
Developing feedback mechanisms that allow CHWs to share implementation challenges and recommendations.
Testing digital platforms with CHWs and community members before large-scale deployment.
Building partnerships between data analysts, evaluators, and CHWs to strengthen community-informed decision-making.

These activities recognize that effective data collection requires more than technical expertise. It requires meaningful engagement from individuals who understand community perspectives and can identify barriers that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Conclusion

Outcome 5 of the CHWI Action Plan recognizes that CHWs play an important role throughout the data lifecycle—from collection and design to interpretation and action. Strategy 5.2 specifically elevates the value of CHW input in creating accessible, equitable, and community-centered data collection processes.

When CHWs are engaged in reviewing tools, improving accessibility, supporting language access, and educating residents about the value of data, organizations are better equipped to collect information that accurately reflects community needs. As healthcare and public health systems increasingly rely on data to guide decisions, CHWs help ensure that the voices behind the numbers remain visible. By investing in CHW leadership within data collection processes, Mecklenburg County can strengthen both community trust and the quality of information used to improve health outcomes.

References

Marlin, K. (2025). Reclaiming the Community Health Worker in Public Health. de Beaumont Foundation. https://debeaumont.org/news/2025/reclaiming-the-community-health-worker-in-public-health/
Mecklenburg County Community Health Worker Initiative. (2024). Cultivating Community Change Together: Mecklenburg County’s Community Health Worker Initiative Comprehensive Action Plan to Improve Access to Care. Mecklenburg County Public Health Department.