scholarly journals Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Training Strategy Among Health Care Workers Screening for Cervical Cancer in Northern Tanzania: The Kilimanjaro Method

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 356-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen E. Yeates ◽  
Jessica Sleeth ◽  
Wilma Hopman ◽  
Ophira Ginsburg ◽  
Katharine Heus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Mobile Telephone ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Workers

Purpose Almost nine of 10 deaths resulting from cervical cancer occur in low-income countries. Visual inspection under acetic acid (VIA) is an evidence-based, cost-effective approach to cervical cancer screening (CCS), but challenges to effective implementation include health provider training costs, provider turnover, and skills retention. We hypothesized that a smartphone camera and use of cervical image transfer for real-time mentorship by experts located distantly across a closed user group through a commercially available smartphone application would be both feasible and effective in enhancing VIA skills among CCS providers in Tanzania. Methods We trained five nonphysician providers in semirural Tanzania to perform VIA enhanced by smartphone cervicography with real-time trainee support from regional experts. Deidentified images were sent through a free smartphone application on the available mobile telephone networks. Our primary outcomes were feasibility of using a smartphone camera to perform smartphone-enhanced VIA and level of agreement in diagnosis between the trainee and expert reviewer over time. Results Trainees screened 1,072 eligible women using our methodology. Within 1 month of training, the agreement rate between trainees and expert reviewers was 96.8%. Providers received a response from expert reviewers within 1 to 5 minutes 48.4% of the time, and more than 60% of the time, feedback was provided by regional expert reviewers in less than 10 minutes. Conclusion Our method was found to be feasible and effective in increasing health care workers’ skills and accuracy. This method holds promise for improved quality of VIA-based CCS programs among health care providers in low-income countries.

scholarly journals High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in health care workers but relatively low numbers of deaths in urban Malawi

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 199
Author(s):  
Marah G. Chibwana ◽  
Khuzwayo C. Jere ◽  
Raphael Kamng'ona ◽  
Jonathan Mandolo ◽  
Vincent Katunga-Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Care Workers

Background: In low-income countries, like Malawi, important public health measures including social distancing or a lockdown have been challenging to implement owing to socioeconomic constraints, leading to predictions that the COVID-19 pandemic would progress rapidly. However, due to limited capacity to test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, there are no reliable estimates of the true burden of infection and death.  We, therefore, conducted a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey amongst health care workers (HCWs) in Blantyre city to estimate the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban Malawi. Methods: We recruited 500 otherwise asymptomatic HCWs from Blantyre City (Malawi) from 22nd May 2020 to 19th June 2020 and serum samples were collected from all participants. A commercial ELISA was used to measure SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in serum. Results: A total of 84 participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The HCWs with positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody results came from different parts of the city. The adjusted seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 12.3% [CI 8.2 - 16.5]. Using age-stratified infection fatality estimates reported from elsewhere, we found that at the observed adjusted seroprevalence, the number of predicted deaths was eight times the number of reported deaths. Conclusions: The high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs and the discrepancy in the predicted versus reported deaths suggests that there was early exposure but slow progression of COVID-19 epidemic in urban Malawi. This highlights the urgent need for development of locally parameterised mathematical models to more accurately predict the trajectory of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa for better evidence-based policy decisions and public health response planning.

scholarly journals High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Health Care Workers but relatively low numbers of deaths in urban Malawi

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marah Grace Chibwana ◽  
Khuzwayo Chidiwa Jere ◽  
Raphael kamng'ona ◽  
Jonathan Mandolo ◽  
Vincent Katunga-Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Care Workers

Background: In low-income countries, like Malawi, important public health measures including social distancing or a lockdown have been challenging to implement owing to socioeconomic constraints, leading to predictions that the COVID-19 pandemic would progress rapidly. However, due to limited capacity to test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, there are no reliable estimates of the true burden of infection and death. We, therefore, conducted a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey amongst health care workers (HCWs) in Blantyre city to estimate the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban Malawi. Methods: We recruited 500 otherwise asymptomatic HCWs from Blantyre City (Malawi) from 22nd May 2020 to 19th June 2020 and serum samples were collected from all participants. A commercial ELISA was used to measure SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in serum. Results: A total of 84 participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The HCWs with positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody results came from different parts of the city. The adjusted seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 12.3% [CI 8.2 - 16.5]. Using age-stratified infection fatality estimates reported from elsewhere, we found that at the observed adjusted seroprevalence, the number of predicted deaths was eight times the number of reported deaths. Conclusions: The high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs and the discrepancy in the predicted versus reported deaths suggests that there was early exposure but slow progression of COVID-19 epidemic in urban Malawi. This highlights the urgent need for development of locally parameterised mathematical models to more accurately predict the trajectory of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa for better evidence-based policy decisions and public health response planning.

scholarly journals High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in health care workers but relatively low numbers of deaths in urban Malawi

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marah G. Chibwana ◽  
Khuzwayo C. Jere ◽  
Raphael Kamng'ona ◽  
Jonathan Mandolo ◽  
Vincent Katunga-Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Care Workers

Background: In low-income countries, like Malawi, important public health measures including social distancing or a lockdown have been challenging to implement owing to socioeconomic constraints, leading to predictions that the COVID-19 pandemic would progress rapidly. However, due to limited capacity to test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, there are no reliable estimates of the true burden of infection and death.  We, therefore, conducted a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey amongst health care workers (HCWs) in Blantyre city to estimate the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban Malawi. Methods: We recruited 500 otherwise asymptomatic HCWs from Blantyre City (Malawi) from 22nd May 2020 to 19th June 2020 and serum samples were collected from all participants. A commercial ELISA was used to measure SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in serum. Results: A total of 84 participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The HCWs with positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody results came from different parts of the city. The adjusted seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 12.3% [CI 8.2 - 16.5]. Using age-stratified infection fatality estimates reported from elsewhere, we found that at the observed adjusted seroprevalence, the number of predicted deaths was eight times the number of reported deaths. Conclusions: The high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCWs and the discrepancy in the predicted versus reported deaths suggests that there was early exposure but slow progression of COVID-19 epidemic in urban Malawi. This highlights the urgent need for development of locally parameterised mathematical models to more accurately predict the trajectory of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa for better evidence-based policy decisions and public health response planning.

Mobile Phone Tools for Field-Based Health care Workers in Low-Income Countries

2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 406-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian DeRenzi ◽  
Gaetano Borriello ◽  
Jonathan Jackson ◽  
Vikram S. Kumar ◽  
Tapan S. Parikh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Care Workers

Covid-19 and its financial effects on the dental fraternity and health-care workers: A literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 628-631
Author(s):  
Devangi Agrawal ◽  
Namisha Khara ◽  
Bhushan Mundada ◽  
Nitin Bhola ◽  
Rajiv Borle
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Dental Procedures ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Dental Practices ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up

In the wake of the current outbreak of novel Covid-19, which is now declared as a 'pandemic' by the WHO, people around the globe have been dealing with a lot of difficulties. This virus had come into light in December 2019 and since then has only grown exponentially. Amongst the most affected are the ones who have been working extremely hard to eradicate it, which includes the hospitals, dental fraternity and the health-care workers. These people are financially burdened due to limited practise. In the case of dentistry, to avoid the spread of the virus, only emergency treatments are being approved, and the rest of the standard procedures have been put on hold. In some cases, as the number of covid cases is rising, many countries are even trying to eliminate the emergency dental procedures to divert the finances towards the treatment of covid suffering patients. What we need to realise is that this is probably not the last time that we are facing such a situation. Instead of going down, we should set up guidelines with appropriate precautionary measures together with the use of standardised PPEs. The government should also establish specific policies to support dental practices and other health-care providers. Together, we can fight this pandemic and come out stronger.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Sensitization Program on Occupational Health Hazards for Nursing and Allied Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Health Care Setting

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manisha Naithani ◽  
Meenakshi Khapre ◽  
Rajesh Kathrotia ◽  
Puneet Kumar Gupta ◽  
Vandana Kumar Dhingra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Needlestick Injury ◽  
Incident Reporting ◽  
Health Hazards ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Workers

Background: Occupational health hazard pertaining to health care providers is one of the neglected areas that need serious attention. Any compromise in their safety would result in reduction in workforce, which may affect patient care, keeping in mind the wide gap between the required number and actual health care workers (HCWs) available in the world over.Aim: This study was undertaken to evaluate the change in knowledge through a sensitization training program on occupational health hazards and vaccination for HCWs.Materials and Methods: Participants of the study included nursing and allied HCWs of a tertiary care health institute in Uttarakhand, India. Multiple training sessions, each of around 180 min, were held periodically in small groups with 20–40 participants over 2 years. Participants were assessed with pretest and posttest questionnaires, and feedback was taken. Questionnaires comprised three categories: general safety and ergonomics, biological hazards, and chemical and radiation hazards. Data of incident reporting for needlestick injury from 2017 to 2019 were retrieved. All data were compiled in Excel sheet and analyzed.Results: A total of 352 participants were included in the study. Mean ± SD for pretest and posttest scores were 5.3 ± 2.13 and 11.22 ± 2.15, respectively. There was considerable improvement in knowledge, which was found to be statistically significant with p-value of 0.001 for all categories. Participants in their feedback suggested for inclusion of psychosocial aspect in further training programs.Conclusion: Low baseline knowledge prior to attending the course highlights a need for an intervention through such structured sensitization program to create awareness and educate HCWs on common occupational health hazards and vaccination. Statistically significant improvement in posttest knowledge highlights effectiveness of the training program. A drastic rise in incident reporting for needlestick injury reflects fairly good impact of training program. Regular and appropriate form of training can reduce injuries resulting from occupational hazards and ensure healthy workforce contributing toward a positive impact on national economy.

Level of physical activity and its correlates among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tigist Demssew Adane ◽  
Birhan Gebresillassie Gebregiorgis ◽  
Elda Mekonnen Nigussie ◽  
Abate Dargie Wubetu
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
P Value ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract Background These days, engaging at sufficient regular physical activity strongly recommended for good health and physical functioning. Physical activity can increase the self-confidence of the health professionals and they would become fit for daily activities with patients. Knowing the level of physical activity can help health care professionals to plan for physical activity programs. This study aimed to measure the level of physical activity and associated factors among adult health professionals at Tirunesh Beijing general hospital.Objective The aim of this study was to assess the level of physical activity and associated factors among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019.Methods Institution based cross-sectional study conducted level of physical activity and associated factors among health care workers in Ethiopia, 2019. Two hundred nighty seven adult health professionals were participated, which was a 97.4% response rate. The global physical activity questionnaire used to measure the level of physical activity. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses was done to affirm the variables characteristics. A predictor variable with a p-value of less than 0.2 exported to multivariate analysis. During multivariate analysis, statistical significance declared at a p-value of < 0.05.Results In general, the majority of the study participants, 89.2% (95% CI: 85.9-92.6) were achieved recommended levels of physical activity. Regarding the intensity of the physical activity, the overall mean time score was 518.4 mints per week or 2352.6 MET/week. For moderate-intensity physical activity, 83.5% of the study participants were physically active, (≥150 minutes/week). In the case of vigorous activity, about 32.7% of the study participants were physically active and engaged in vigorous physical activity (≥75 minutes /week). The study participants, who had self-motivation for physical activity, had a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2 and aged < 40 years were physically active.Conclusions Health care providers’ habit of physical activity improved as compared with the previous studies. However, the current level of physical activity of health professionals is not adequate. Health care providers’ age, body mass index and self-motivation attribute to physical activity. The level of physical activity can increase by enhancing staff motivation towards physical activity.

scholarly journals Assessing real-time performances of N95 respirators for health care workers by simulated workplace protection factors

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 553-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunwook KIM ◽  
Jung-Eun BAEK ◽  
Hye-Kyung SEO ◽  
Jong-Eun LEE ◽  
Jun-Pyo MYONG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
N95 Respirators
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document