scholarly journals Connecting communities to primary care: a qualitative study on the roles, motivations and lived experiences of community health workers in the Philippines

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunice Mallari ◽  
Gideon Lasco ◽  
Don Jervis Sayman ◽  
Arianna Maever L. Amit ◽  
Dina Balabanova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Community health workers (CHWs) are an important cadre of the primary health care (PHC) workforce in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Philippines was an early adopter of the CHW model for the delivery of PHC, launching the Barangay (village) Health Worker (BHW) programme in the early 1980s, yet little is known about the factors that motivate and sustain BHWs’ largely voluntary involvement. This study aims to address this gap by examining the lived experiences and roles of BHWs in urban and rural sites in the Philippines. Methods This cross-sectional qualitative study draws on 23 semi-structured interviews held with BHWs from barangays in Valenzuela City (urban) and Quezon province (rural). A mixed inductive/ deductive approach was taken to generate themes, which were interpreted according to a theoretical framework of community mobilisation to understand how characteristics of the social context in which the BHW programme operates act as facilitators or barriers for community members to volunteer as BHWs. Results Interviewees identified a range of motivating factors to seek and sustain their BHW roles, including a variety of financial and non-financial incentives, gaining technical knowledge and skill, improving the health and wellbeing of community members, and increasing one’s social position. Furthermore, ensuring BHWs have adequate support and resources (e.g. allowances, medicine stocks) to execute their duties, and can contribute to decisions on their role in delivering community health services could increase both community participation and the overall impact of the BHW programme. Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of the symbolic, material and relational factors that influence community members to participate in CHW programmes. The lessons drawn could help to improve the impact and sustainability of similar programmes in other parts of the Philippines and that are currently being developed or strengthened in other LMICs.

scholarly journals Reactions of community members regarding community health workers’ activities as a measure of the impact of a training program in Amazonas, Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryoko Kawasaki ◽  
Toru Sadamori ◽  
Terezinha Ferreira de Almeida ◽  
Megumi Akiyoshi ◽  
Mika Nishihara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Health ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Community Members ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Factors associated with retention of community health workers in maternal, newborn and child health programme in Simiyu Region, Tanzania

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Ngilangwa ◽  
George S. Mgomella
Keyword(s):  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Medical Practitioner ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Health Programme ◽  
Health Programmes

Background: Attrition of community health workers (CHWs) continues to threaten the full realisation and sustainability of community-based health programmes globally. Aim: This study aimed to understand factors associated with CHWs’ recruitment and their retention. Setting: This study was conducted in five districts of the Simiyu Region, namely, Bariadi, Busega, Itilima, Maswa and Meatu in north-western Tanzania. Methods: In this cross-sectional study design, 341 CHWs who were working with the maternal health programme were randomly selected. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to all participants. Data were descriptively and inferentially analysed using SPSS version 20. Results: Majority (58.0%) of CHWs were below 35 years. Over half (53.1%) had completed primary education only. Motivation factors for being CHW were aspiration to serve the community and desire for further training to become a qualified medical practitioner. Community recognition and financial incentives were among the key retention reasons for the CHWs. Being married (odds ratio [OR] 5.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7–20.1) having prior volunteer experience (OR 10.5 95% CI 12.7–40.5) and prior employment OR 21.8 (CI 12.2–38.9) were positively associated with retention of CHWs, while being a female was negatively associated with retention OR 0.4 (CI 0.2–0.8). Conclusions: Both financial and non-financial incentives were critical in contributing to the retention of CHWs. Thus, health programmes should carefully select CHWs by understanding their motives beforehand, and provide them with incentives.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study on The Role of Community Health Workers In Influencing Social Connectedness Using The Household Model: A Case Study of Neno District, Malawi

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myness Stella Kasanda Ndambo ◽  
Fabien Munyaneza ◽  
Moses Aron ◽  
Henry Makungwa ◽  
Annie Michaelis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Individual Agency ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
Household Model

Abstract Background: There is growing global recognition that community health workers (CHWs) play a key role in facilitating social connectedness. Through direct interactions and relationship building, CHWs link people to key services such as healthcare and social support. Several models aim to understand how CHWs facilitate these interactions, but the theory of change is not yet fully understood. In Neno District, Malawi, CHWs recently transitioned from a disease-focused model to what we call the “household model.” Under the household model, each CHW is assigned to several households to provide screening and linkage to care, as well as psychosocial and chronic disease support. We theorise that this public health approach facilitates social connectedness in the households and rural communities served by CHWs. We aim to understand drivers of influence on social connections from the CHW-, healthcare worker-, and patient perspectives. Methods: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study utilising focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled community stakeholders, CHWs, health service providers, and patients (total N=180) from October 2018 through March 2020. Results: Participants reported improved social interactions and connectedness and increased access to health care in their communities following the transition to the household model. This was driven by factors including reduced stigma and discrimination, empowerment of households and community members, and fostering both social cohesiveness and individual agency in accessing health services. The main themes that emanated from this study are; expansion of care by CHWs, trust in CHW’s provision of care, and equal treatment of community members by CHWs. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that through the polyvalent household model, CHWs foster high levels of social connectedness in the communities, evidenced by a reported reduction in stigma and discrimination and an increase in individual agency in accessing health services.

scholarly journals Satisfaction of Malaria Patients with Care by Community Health Workers Trained in Microscopy: A Mixed-Methods Study in Palawan, the Philippines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Louise Akiko Matsumoto-Takahashi ◽  
Pilarita Tongol-Rivera ◽  
Elena Andino Villacorte ◽  
Ray Uyaan Angluben ◽  
Masamine Jimba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

Palawan is the malaria-endemic province with the highest prevalence of malaria in the Philippines, and microscopists (community health workers) have been allowed to deliver early diagnosis and prompt treatment of malaria throughout the province since 1999. To improve the quality of care, the present mixed-methods study attempted to identify the factors associated with satisfaction of patients in Palawan with their microscopists by analyzing the patients’ perspectives. First, a quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 48 ex-patients and their nine microscopists. Ex-patients were asked about their satisfaction with care, and microscopists were asked about their job satisfaction and ability. Structural equation modeling was conducted for data analysis. Second, a qualitative cross-sectional study was performed using narrative interviews. Data were analyzed using the NVivo 10 software program. As a result, both studies revealed high patient satisfaction with microscopists. The quantitative study showed that ex-patients’ satisfaction with their microscopists was independently enhanced by two factors: high ability in malaria microscopic observation and low household wealth of the patients. Particularly, specific subpopulations (those with lower household wealth, relatively old people, and ethnic minorities) were more satisfied with the microscopists’ care. The qualitative study strengthens this finding by showing that their microscopists offered prompt and precise diagnosis and effective treatment for free. In conclusion, microscopists were shown to have an important role in narrowing the disparities in malaria care in Palawan. It is important to maintain/enhance the ability of microscopists in malaria microscopy to satisfy their patients.

scholarly journals Community Health Workers Working the Digital Archive: A Case for Looking at Participatory Archiving in Studying Stigma in the Context of HIV and AIDS

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naydene De Lange ◽  
Claudia Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Hiv Stigma ◽  
Digital Archive ◽  
Visual Data ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

Addressing the issue of HIV-stigma is recognised as essential to reducing the spread of HIV and AIDS, enabling community members to access prevention, treatment and care. Often the very people who are able to contribute to solving the problem, are marginalised and do not see ways to insert themselves into dialogues related to combating stigma. Community health workers in rural South Africa are one such group. At the heart of the research discussed in this article is an intervention based on participatory analysis through participatory archiving ( Shilton and Srinivasan 2008 ). Drawing on participatory work with thirteen community health workers in rural KwaZulu-Natal, we use a digital archive containing HIV-stigma visual data - generated five years earlier by youth in the community - to engage the participants in the analysis. Drawing on such participatory work as Jenkins’ participatory cultures framework, we focus on the idea of re-using, re-coding, and re-mixing visual data. One participant stated that “these pictures talk about the real issues faced by our communities”, highlighting the value of resources generated by community members themselves. They also indicate that they “could use [the resources] to teach the cons of stigmatising”. A key concern in work related to visual images (particularly in projects such as ours where a large amount of visual data is produced) is to consider ways of extending its life through the use of community-based digital archives.

Motivating and demotivating factors for community health workers: A qualitative study in urban slums of Delhi, India

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
MathewSunil George ◽  
Shradha Pant ◽  
Niveditha Devasenapathy ◽  
Suparna Ghosh-Jerath ◽  
SanjayP Zodpey
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Urban Slums
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