“When I am with my husband, I do not feel mosquito bite”

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Anita Quist ◽  
Augustine Adomah-Afari
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Malaria Control ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Malaria Control Programme ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Beliefs And Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how socio-cultural beliefs and practices could influence the knowledge, attitude and perception of insecticide-treated net (ITN) use in the control of malaria amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinic. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered using interviews and documentary review. Framework analysis was applied to classify emerging themes and the findings interpreted using the health belief model. Findings The findings showed that the pregnant women had appreciable knowledge, both the positive and negative attitudes and the perceptions of insecticide treated nets. To most of them, sleeping under an ITN would not affect pregnancy/cause abortion, but rather prevent mosquito bites and associated malaria. Research limitations/implications The limitations include the sample size of participants and health facilities used. Lack of application of a quantitative research method meant that the authors could not quantify the findings to ensure generalisation to the entire population. Practical implications The findings suggest that health policy makers, implementers and health professionals need to appreciate the perception and the attitude of pregnant women when designing policy guidelines for the malaria control programme. Social implications This paper helps to elucidate on how socio-cultural beliefs and practices could influence the knowledge, attitude and perception of ITN usage amongst both pregnant women and people in malaria endemic communities. Originality/value This paper suggests that health policy makers, implementers and health professionals have to devise strategies to address socio-cultural beliefs and practices in the scaling up of malaria control programmes.

scholarly journals Compelling Choices: Tensions in the Practice and Experience of Prenatal Screening in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sarah Ellen Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Prenatal Screening ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Pregnancy Care ◽  
Recent Developments

<p>Recently there has been a shift in health policy in New Zealand, as internationally, away from prenatal screening for fetal abnormalities targeting specific 'high risk' groups of pregnant women, towards the implementation of population-based screening programmes. As a result, for the majority of pregnant women in Western countries, prenatal screening is now undertaken as part of the standard 'package' of maternity care. This thesis explores the constitution of prenatal screening as a now taken-for-granted aspect of contemporary pregnancy care. It considers tensions between popular and medical understandings of the value and purpose of this practice, in particular examining the contradictory nature of discourses which, on one hand, construct acceptance of prenatal screening as an empowering 'choice' available to pregnant women, and on the other hand, as an institutionally-endorsed, morally appropriate practice of risk management. Recent developments within the New Zealand context are presented as a 'case study' of the representational politics of prenatal screening within contemporary public health policy.  The question of informed consent for prenatal screening is a key focus within the research. It examines the extent to which the scope of women's choices and the degree of consent possible are materially shaped and constrained within the context of current clinical practice, and the broader climate of contemporary pregnancy care. Empirically, the research investigates key themes in women's experience of prenatal screening decisions within this climate, and explores the private 'moral work' undertaken by pregnant women as they navigate the contradictory imperatives which circulate in mainstream screening discourse. The findings of the research suggest a need for clinicians and policy makers to recognise prenatal screening as an ethically complex 'special case', qualitatively distinct from other projects of population-based health screening. It is argued that ethical practice in prenatal screening requires an approach which acknowledges the discursive and material factors which problematise liberal conceptions of prenatal screening as an authentic, deliberative 'choice' available to pregnant women.</p>

Relationship marketing strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Augustine Adomah-Afari ◽  
Theophilus Maloreh-Nyamekye
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Training Institutions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how strategies are put in place to formulate policies regarding the introduction and implementation of relationship marketing (RM) in the health sector, and how RM strategies are designed as part of the curricula for the training of prospective health professionals in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered using interviews and documentary review. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit policy makers and health educationists in Accra for in-depth interviews. Qualitative interviews were analysed using framework analysis.FindingsThe findings revealed that, currently, there is no policy framework on RM in the health sector nor included in the curricula of health training institutions in the country.Research limitations/implicationsDue to limited time and funding constraints, the study could not include many policy makers, educationists, health providers, facilities and regions outside the Greater Accra region of Ghana. This means that the authors missed out on useful insights from other relevant policy makers/educationists who would have added to the knowledge that this study contributes. There were still some areas that this study could not cover, including the lack of an exploration of the perceptions of health providers and patients.Practical implicationsEvidence from the current research provides the basis for scaling up of a similar study to the whole country to address the perennial RM or quality of care/patient satisfaction issues persisting in health facilities in the country. The outcome of this large-scale study would help to confirm the findings of the current study on the adoption and incorporation of RM into both policy framework and curricula of health training institutions in Ghana. The findings would culminate in the preparation and utilisation of guidelines on RM for client-centred service delivery in the health sector of the country.Social implicationsThis paper argues that RM orientation could enable health professionals to improve upon their healthcare service performance and quality of care so as to enhance patient satisfaction.Originality/valueThe study recommends that RM should be adopted by health policy makers and designers of curricula for health training institutions.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Technology-Enabled Knowledge Translation Strategies in Improving the Use of Research in Public Health: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Brown ◽  
Courtney Barnes ◽  
Judith Byaruhanga ◽  
Matthew McLaughlin ◽  
Rebecca K Hodder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Knowledge Translation ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Or Practice

BACKGROUND Knowledge translation (KT) aims to facilitate the use of research evidence in decision making. Changes in technology have provided considerable opportunities for KT strategies to improve access and use of evidence in decision making by public health policy makers and practitioners. Despite this opportunity, there have been no reviews that have assessed the effects of digital technology-enabled KT (TEKT) in the field of public health. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies in (1) improving the capacity for evidence-based decision making by public health policy makers and practitioners, (2) changing public health policy or practice, and (3) changes in individual or population health outcomes. METHODS A search strategy was developed to identify randomized trials assessing the effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies in public health. Any primary research study with a randomized trial design was eligible. Searches for eligible studies were undertaken in multiple electronic bibliographic databases (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online [MEDLINE], Excerpta Medica dataBASE [EMBASE], PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and Scopus) and the reference lists of included studies. A hand search of 2 journals (Implementation Science and Journal of Medical Internet Research) and a gray literature search were also conducted. Pairs of independent review authors screened studies, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted data from relevant studies. RESULTS Of the 6819 citations screened, 8 eligible randomized trials were included in the review. The studies examined the impact of digital TEKT strategies on health professionals, including nurses, child care health consultants, physiotherapists, primary health care workers, and public health practitioners. Overall, 5 of the interventions were web-training programs. The remaining 3 interventions included simulation games, access to digital resource materials and the use of tailored messaging, and a web-based registry. The findings suggest that digital TEKT interventions may be effective in improving the knowledge of public health professionals, relative to control, and may be as effective as a face-to-face KT approach. The effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies relative to a control or other digital KT interventions on measures of health professional self-efficacy to use evidence to enhance practice behavior or behavioral intention outcomes was mixed. The evidence regarding the effects on changes to health policy or practice following exposure to digital TEKT was mixed. No trials assessed the effects on individual or population-level health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This review is the first to synthesize the effectiveness of digital TEKT interventions in a public health setting. Despite its potential, relatively few trials have been undertaken to investigate the impacts of digital TEKT interventions. The findings suggest that although a digital TEKT intervention may improve knowledge, the effects of such interventions on other outcomes are equivocal.

scholarly journals Experiences of inpatient staff meeting the religious and cultural needs of BAME informal patients and patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-125
Author(s):  
Kuldip Kaur Kang ◽  
Nicola Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Local Resources ◽  
Specific Assessment ◽  
Staff Experiences

Purpose This paper aims to explore inpatient staff experiences of seeking to meet the religious and cultural needs of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) inpatients on mental health wards. Design/methodology/approach Nine semi-structured interviews were undertaken with inpatient staff in one NHS Trust in England to explore their views and experiences of supporting BAME inpatients to meet their religious and cultural needs. Anonymised transcripts were analysed thematically. Findings Inpatient staff reported lacking the confidence and knowledge to identify and meet BAME inpatients’ religious and cultural needs, especially inpatients from smaller ethnic groups and newly emerging communities. There was no specific assessment used to identify religious and cultural needs and not all inpatient staff received training on meeting these needs. Concerns were raised about difficulties for staff in differentiating whether unusual beliefs and practices were expressions of religiosity or delusions. Staff identified the potential role of inpatients’ family members in identifying and meeting needs, explaining religious and cultural beliefs and practices, and psychoeducation to encourage treatment or medication adherence. Practical implications Potential ways to address this gap in the knowledge and confidence of inpatient staff to meet the religious and cultural needs of BAME patients include training for inpatient staff; the production and updating of a directory of common religious and cultural practices and needs; local resources which can help to support those needs; and religious and cultural practices and needs being documented by mental health practitioners in community teams such that this information is readily available for inpatient staff if a service user is admitted. Originality/value This is the first study to consider inpatient staff views on meeting the religious and cultural needs of BAME informal patients and patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

scholarly journals Assessment of malaria infection among pregnant women and children below five years of age attending rural health facilities of Kenya: A cross-sectional survey in two counties of Kenya

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257276
Author(s):  
Collins Okoyo ◽  
Edward Githinji ◽  
Ruth W. Muia ◽  
Janet Masaku ◽  
Judy Mwai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Malaria Control ◽  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Intermittent Preventive Treatment ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Malaria Control Programme ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Women And Children

Background In Kenya, health service delivery and access to health care remains a challenge for vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant women and children below five years. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the positivity rate of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in pregnant women and children below five years of age seeking healthcare services at the rural health facilities of Kwale and Siaya counties as well as their access and uptake of malaria control integrated services, like antenatal care (ANC), offered in those facilities. Methods Cluster random sampling method was used to select pregnant women and children below five years receiving maternal and child health services using two cross-sectional surveys conducted in eleven rural health facilities in two malaria endemic counties in western and coastal regions of Kenya. Each consenting participant provided single blood sample for determining malaria parasitaemia using microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. Results Using PCR technique, the overall malaria positivity rate was 27.9% (95%CI: 20.9–37.2), and was 34.1% (95%CI: 27.1–42.9) and 22.0% (95%CI: 13.3–36.3) in children below five years and pregnant women respectively. Additionally, using microscopy, the overall positivity rate was 39.0% (95%CI: 29.5–51.6), and was 50.4% (95%CI: 39.4–64.5) and 30.6% (95%CI: 22.4–41.7) in children below five years and pregnant women respectively. Siaya County in western Kenya showed higher malaria positivity rates for both children (36.4% and 54.9%) and pregnant women (27.8% and 38.5%) using both PCR and microscopy diagnosis techniques respectively, compared to Kwale County that showed positivity rates of 27.2% and 37.9% for children and 5.2% and 8.6% for pregnant women similarly using both PCR and microscopy techniques respectively. Pregnant women presenting themselves for their first ANC visit were up to five times at risk of malaria infection, (adjusted odds ratio = 5.40, 95%CI: 0.96–30.50, p = 0.046). Conclusion Despite evidence of ANC attendance and administration of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) dosage during these visits, malaria positivity rate was still high among pregnant women and children below five years in these two rural counties. These findings are important to the Kenyan National Malaria Control Programme and will help contribute to improvement of policies on integration of malaria control approaches in rural health facilities.

Health researchers and policy makers involvement in knowledge translation activities in Malawi

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-395
Author(s):  
Patrick Mapulanga ◽  
Jaya Raju ◽  
Thomas Matingwina
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Knowledge Translation ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Expert Committee ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore health researchers’ involvement of policy or decision makers in knowledge translation activities in Malawi. Design/methodology/approach The case study collected quantitative through questionnaire from health researchers from the University of Malawi. The study used inferential statistics for the analysis of the quantitative data. Pearson χ2 test was used to establish the relationship between categorical data and determine whether any observed difference between the data sets arose by chance. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was used to determine if there were statistically significant differences between independent variable and dependent variables. Data has been presented in a form of tables showing means, standard deviation and p-values. Findings Health researchers sometimes involve policy or decision makers in government-sponsored meetings (M=2.5, SD=1.17). They rarely involve policy or decision makers in expert committee or group meetings (M=2.4, SD=1.20). Researchers rarely involve policy or decision makers in conferences and workshops (M=2.4, SD=1.31). Rarely do researchers involve policy or decision makers in formal private or public networks (M=2.4, SD=1.17). In events organised by the colleges researchers rarely involve policy or decision makers (M=2.3, SD=1.11); and rarely share weblinks with policy or decision makers (M=2.0, SD=1,17). On average, health researchers occasionally conduct deliberate dialogues with key health policy makers and other stakeholders (M=2.5, SD=1.12). The researchers rarely established and maintained long-term partnerships policy or decision makers (M=2.2, SD=1.20). They rarely involve policy or decision makers in the overall direction of the health research conducted by themselves or the Colleges (M=2.1, SD=1.24). Research limitations/implications The study recommends that there should be deliberate efforts by health researchers and policy makers to formally engage each other. Individuals need technical skills, knowledge of the processes and structures for engaging with health research evidence to inform policy and decision making. At the institutional level, the use of research evidence should be embedded within support research engagement structures and linked persons. Practical implications Formal interactions in a form of expert meetings and technical working groups between researchers and policy makers can facilitate the use of health research evidence in policy formulation. Social implications In terms of framework there is need to put in place formal interaction frameworks between health researchers and policy makers within the knowledge translation and exchange. Originality/value There is dearth of literature on the levels of involvement and interaction between health researchers and health policy or decision makers in health policy, systems and services research in Malawi. This study seeks to bridge the gap with empirical evidence.

scholarly journals Compelling Choices: Tensions in the Practice and Experience of Prenatal Screening in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sarah Ellen Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Prenatal Screening ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Pregnancy Care ◽  
Recent Developments

<p>Recently there has been a shift in health policy in New Zealand, as internationally, away from prenatal screening for fetal abnormalities targeting specific 'high risk' groups of pregnant women, towards the implementation of population-based screening programmes. As a result, for the majority of pregnant women in Western countries, prenatal screening is now undertaken as part of the standard 'package' of maternity care. This thesis explores the constitution of prenatal screening as a now taken-for-granted aspect of contemporary pregnancy care. It considers tensions between popular and medical understandings of the value and purpose of this practice, in particular examining the contradictory nature of discourses which, on one hand, construct acceptance of prenatal screening as an empowering 'choice' available to pregnant women, and on the other hand, as an institutionally-endorsed, morally appropriate practice of risk management. Recent developments within the New Zealand context are presented as a 'case study' of the representational politics of prenatal screening within contemporary public health policy.  The question of informed consent for prenatal screening is a key focus within the research. It examines the extent to which the scope of women's choices and the degree of consent possible are materially shaped and constrained within the context of current clinical practice, and the broader climate of contemporary pregnancy care. Empirically, the research investigates key themes in women's experience of prenatal screening decisions within this climate, and explores the private 'moral work' undertaken by pregnant women as they navigate the contradictory imperatives which circulate in mainstream screening discourse. The findings of the research suggest a need for clinicians and policy makers to recognise prenatal screening as an ethically complex 'special case', qualitatively distinct from other projects of population-based health screening. It is argued that ethical practice in prenatal screening requires an approach which acknowledges the discursive and material factors which problematise liberal conceptions of prenatal screening as an authentic, deliberative 'choice' available to pregnant women.</p>

Hospital service quality – patient preferences – a discrete choice experiment

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 676-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mina Bahrampour ◽  
Abbas Bahrampour ◽  
Mohammadreza Amiresmaili ◽  
Mohsen Barouni
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Discrete Choice Experiment ◽  
Discrete Choice ◽  
Patient Preferences ◽  
Choice Experiment ◽  
Healthcare Quality ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type

PurposeHigh quality healthcare is important to all patients. If healthcare is felt to be high quality, then patients will be satisfied, and the relationship between patients and healthcare providers will improve. Patient satisfaction is among the most commonly used service quality indicators; however, it is not fully known which factors influence satisfaction. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the elements that affect both healthcare quality and patient satisfaction. Nowadays, several methods are used in health economics to assess patient preferences, prioritize them and help health policy makers improve services. Discrete choice experiment (DCE) is one method that is useful to elicit patient preferences regarding healthcare services. The purpose of this paper is to apply DCE and elicit patient preferences in medical centers to rank certain healthcare quality factors.Design/methodology/approachThe descriptive, analytical study used a cross-sectional questionnaire that the authors developed. In total, 12 scenarios were chosen after applying fractional factorials. The questionnaire was completed by patients who were admitted to Kerman General Teaching Hospitals, South-East Iran in 2015. Patient preferences were identified by calculating the characteristics’ marginal effects and prioritizing them. The generalized estimation equation (GEE) model was used to determine attribute effects on patient preferences.FindingsIn total, 167 patients completed the questionnaire. Prioritizing the attributes showed that “physical examination” was the most important attribute. Other key features included “cleanliness,” “training after discharging,” “medical staff attention,” “waiting for admission” and “staff attitude.” All attributes were statistically significant (p<0.05) except staff behavior. No demographic characteristic was significant.Practical implicationsTo increase hospital patient satisfaction, health policy makers should develop programs to enhance healthcare quality and hospital safety by increasing physical examination quality and other services.Originality/valueTo estimate DCE independent variables, logistic regression models are usually used. The authors used the GEE model to estimate discrete choice experiment owing the explanatory variables’ dependency.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Technology-Enabled Knowledge Translation Strategies in Improving the Use of Research in Public Health: Systematic Review

10.2196/17274 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. e17274
Author(s):  
Alison Brown ◽  
Courtney Barnes ◽  
Judith Byaruhanga ◽  
Matthew McLaughlin ◽  
Rebecca K Hodder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Knowledge Translation ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Or Practice

Background Knowledge translation (KT) aims to facilitate the use of research evidence in decision making. Changes in technology have provided considerable opportunities for KT strategies to improve access and use of evidence in decision making by public health policy makers and practitioners. Despite this opportunity, there have been no reviews that have assessed the effects of digital technology-enabled KT (TEKT) in the field of public health. Objective This study aims to examine the effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies in (1) improving the capacity for evidence-based decision making by public health policy makers and practitioners, (2) changing public health policy or practice, and (3) changes in individual or population health outcomes. Methods A search strategy was developed to identify randomized trials assessing the effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies in public health. Any primary research study with a randomized trial design was eligible. Searches for eligible studies were undertaken in multiple electronic bibliographic databases (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online [MEDLINE], Excerpta Medica dataBASE [EMBASE], PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and Scopus) and the reference lists of included studies. A hand search of 2 journals (Implementation Science and Journal of Medical Internet Research) and a gray literature search were also conducted. Pairs of independent review authors screened studies, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted data from relevant studies. Results Of the 6819 citations screened, 8 eligible randomized trials were included in the review. The studies examined the impact of digital TEKT strategies on health professionals, including nurses, child care health consultants, physiotherapists, primary health care workers, and public health practitioners. Overall, 5 of the interventions were web-training programs. The remaining 3 interventions included simulation games, access to digital resource materials and the use of tailored messaging, and a web-based registry. The findings suggest that digital TEKT interventions may be effective in improving the knowledge of public health professionals, relative to control, and may be as effective as a face-to-face KT approach. The effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies relative to a control or other digital KT interventions on measures of health professional self-efficacy to use evidence to enhance practice behavior or behavioral intention outcomes was mixed. The evidence regarding the effects on changes to health policy or practice following exposure to digital TEKT was mixed. No trials assessed the effects on individual or population-level health outcomes. Conclusions This review is the first to synthesize the effectiveness of digital TEKT interventions in a public health setting. Despite its potential, relatively few trials have been undertaken to investigate the impacts of digital TEKT interventions. The findings suggest that although a digital TEKT intervention may improve knowledge, the effects of such interventions on other outcomes are equivocal.

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