Facilitators and Barriers of a Chronic Care Management Intervention Addressing Diabetes Among Mexican-Origin Adults

Background Chronic care management (CCM) and community health worker (CHW) interventions hold promise for managing complex chronic conditions such as diabetes and related comorbidities. This qualitative study examines facilitators and barriers to the implementation of an expanded CCM intervention that explicitly incorporated program staff, clinic staff, CHWs, and partnerships with community-based organizations to enhance diabetes management among Mexican-origin adults. Method Grounded theory was used to analyze interviews conducted in 2018 with 24 members of the CCM team, including program staff, clinic staff, and community-based program partner staff. Results Three themes emerged that characterize perceived facilitators and barriers to CCM implementation, based on analysis of interviews: (1) understanding roles and responsibilities across organizations, (2) building relationships across organizations, and (3) coordinating delivery of the model among different organizations. First, structured meetings and colocated workspaces enhanced understanding of CCM roles for each team member and across organizations. Barriers to understanding CCM roles were more common during the early stages of CCM implementation and amongst staff who did not participate in regular meetings. Second, regular meetings facilitated development of relationships across organizations to enhance implementation of the CCM model. In contrast, limited relationship building among some CCM team members served as a barrier to implementation. Third, CHWs and case review meetings fostered communication and coordination across the CCM model. Conclusions Results suggest the importance of understanding roles and building relationships among multidisciplinary teams to ensure effective communication and coordination of care.