scholarly journals A review of South African Public Healthcare policies addressing Service Delivery for wheelchairs through a Primary Health Care lens

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
June McIntyre ◽  
Kathlyn Elena Cleland ◽  
Serela Samita Ramklass
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
South African ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Impaired Mobility ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Guiding Principles

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: In some areas of South Africa, people with impaired mobility are known to have difficulty accessing wheelchairs. This study aimed to critically appraise public healthcare policies addressing service delivery in terms of assistive devices in general, and more specifically wheelchairs within primary health care METHOD: South African public healthcare policies that address assistive device service delivery were identified and thematically analysed using retrospective deductive document analysis. The themes used correspond to the WHO guidelines for the provision of wheelchairs within the context of the guiding principles of primary health care i.e., accessibly, affordability, acceptability, appropriateness, and availability. An analysis was undertaken on how the provision of assistive devices under these principles was addressed RESULTS: Three policies were identified addressing assistive device service delivery i.e. The National Rehabilitation Policy, The Policy Framework and Strategy for Disability and Rehabilitation Services in South Africa 2015 - 2020, and the National Health Insurance Policy. The National Rehabilitation Policy addressed the majority of the WHO guiding principles on wheelchair provision. Guidelines for non-discriminatory and evidence-based service delivery and the availability of assistive devices were identified in all the documents. Scant attention was paid to service delivery of assistive devices for people residing in urban or peri-urban areas. There was a paucity of guidance on service delivery to people with impaired mobility who were unable to access health services, those unaware of the services available and those who were not aware of the benefits of an assistive device CONCLUSION: The policies, viewed together, addressed all the WHO guiding principles, although some gaps were observed in each policy. A proposal emanating from this review was that an update of the National Rehabilitation Policy would address these deficiencies Keywords: assistive devices, health policy, impaired mobility, disability, rehabilitation

scholarly journals Experiential Learning Curriculum Delivery Approach for Quality Improvement in Resource Limited Settings: Mobile Learning for Point-of-Care Technologies

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 158
Author(s):  
Nkosinothando Chamane ◽  
Tivani Phosa Mashamba-Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Quality Service ◽  
Resource Limited Settings ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Resource Limited

BACKGROUND: Despite impressive progress that has been made in the provision of health care services to all, the issue of quality service delivery still remains a challenge particularly for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics in resource-limited-settings. Poor competency of primary health care workers in these settings has been shown to be amongst the main contributors to poor quality service delivery. FINDINGS: Participatory-based continuous professional development (CPD) strategies to support technology advancements in health care are recommended. Experiential learning approaches have been shown to be efficient in supplementing traditional teaching methods for both health care students and professionals. These approaches have been shown to further contribute towards continuous skills development and lifelong learning. CONCLUSION: This review therefore provided an overview of literature on experiential learning as one of CPD approaches in relation to health care service improvement in resource-limited setting. In addition, this review has recommended a mobile-based experiential learning approach to help deliver a quality POC technology curriculum to Primary health care-based workers in resource-limited settings.

scholarly journals Adaptation of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Litera cy in Medicine Revised (REALM -R) to the South African context: Part 1

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zelda Wasserman ◽  
Susanna C.D. Wright ◽  
Todd Mavis Maja
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
South African ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Health Care Setting ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
Primary Health Care Setting ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
African Context

Literacy levels are increasingly important in health care because professional nurses and other health care professionals often use written health education materials as a major component in patient education. In South Africa, no current instrument is available to assess the literacy levels of patients in the primary health care setting, though several instruments have been developed and validated internationally. The purpose of this paper was to adapt and validate the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine Revised (REALM-R) to the South African context. The REALM-R is a short instrument that is designed to rapidly screen clients in the primary health care setting for low health literacy. A modified Delphi-technique was used to measure the judgement of a group of experts for the purpose of making a decision. Eight experts in the field of Nursing Science were selected purposively to obtain the most reliable consensus. Data was collected by means of a selfreport whereby participants responded to a series of questions posed by the researcher. Descriptive statistics was used for analysing data. The REALM-R was adapted to the South African context to ensure that the literacy level of South African clients is measured with an appropriate instrument.OpsommingGeletterdheidsvlakke word toenemend belangrik in gesondheidsorg aangesien geregistreerde verpleegkundiges en ander gesondheidswerkers dikwels geskrewe gesondheidopvoedkundige materiaal gebruik. Op die oomblik in Suid-Afrika is daar geen geletterdheidsvlaksinstrument beskikbaar om pasiënte in primêre gesondheidsorg se geletterdheid te toets nie. Daar bestaan wel gevalideerde internasionale instrumente. Die doel van die studie was om die REALM-R, ‘n internasionaal gevalideerde mediese geletterdheidsinstrument, aan te pas en te valideer om in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks gebruik te kan word. Die REALM-R is ‘n kort geletterdheidsinstrument wat ontwikkel was om primêre sorg pasiênte wat moontlik lae geletterdheidsvaardigheid het, te kansif. ‘n Aangepasde Delphi-tegniek is gebruik om die oordeel van ‘n groep kundiges in te win. Agt kundiges in verpleegwetenskappe is doelgerig gekies ten einde ‘n betroubare ooreenkoms te verkry.Data is deur middel van self-raportering ingewin deurdat die deelnemers op vrae, gestel deur die navorser, geantwoord het. Beskrywende statistiek is gebruik om die data te ontleed. Die REALM-R is aangepas vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks ten einde ‘n geskikte instrument beskikbaar te stel om die geletterdheidsvaardigheid van primêre sorg pasiente vinnig en akkuraat te kan meet.

Towards Integrated Service Delivery for Primary Health Care: Can Programs Meet People's Lives?

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Vivian Lin
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
Unit Cost ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Integrated Service Delivery ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Integrated Service

The primary health care sector faces a number of challenges. Some of these are in the form of persistent problems which include, inter alia, health disparities in resources and outcomes, a fragmented health system, issues of power with respect to priority setting and resource allocation, and a poor information and evidence base with which to allocate resources and evaluate outcomes. These problems are perennially accompanied by a gap between the rhetoric of policy and the reality of implementation. Neo-liberal reforms present a series of challenges to primary health, with the introduction of unit-cost funding, competitive tendering and increased user pays. Changing epidemiological patterns, the rise of evidence-based medicine, and new information and communication technology all question accepted methods of practice. Eroding community confidence in government and professionals, and the growing polarisation of society are also cause for concern. Three areas for development in primary health care policy and practice may provide the keys for dealing with these challenges. These are, first, the development of integrated service delivery models, which move away from narrowly defined single purpose programs delivered by one provider. Second, the development of innovative policy and managerial tools that support the objectives of primary health care while addressing the concerns of policy makers. Finally, the development of a strategic research and development agenda that effectively links policy, research and practice.

scholarly journals Nutritional well-being of young children in Duncan Village, East London, South Africa: accessibility of primary health care clinics

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 520-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anniza de Villiers ◽  
Kholeka Koko-Mhlahlo ◽  
Marjanne Senekal
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Data Retrieval ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Heavy Workload

AbstractObjectiveThe aim was to contribute to the nutritional well-being of young children living in Duncan Village by investigating factors that influence clinic attendance of mothers and to formulate recommendations for optimisation of accessibility of primary health care (PHC) clinics in the area.DesignPHC clinic accessibility was evaluated by assessing the experiences of mothers who attended clinics in the area as well as the experiences of health care workers (HCWs) in these clinics of service delivery and its recipients (mothers/children), using the focus group technique. The ATLAS/ti program was used to analyse the data in the following steps: preparation and importing of the data, getting to know and coding the data, retrieval and examination of codes and quotations, creation of families and creation of networks.SettingDuncan Village, a low socio-economic urban settlement in East London, South Africa.SubjectsFocus group discussions (four to seven participants per group) were conducted with four groups of mothers who do not attend PHC clinics, six with mothers who do attend the clinics (including pregnant women) and four groups of HCWs.ResultsFour networks that provide a summary of all the major trends in the data were created. The results clearly indicate that mothers in Duncan Village perceive and/or experience serious problems that make it difficult for them to attend clinic and even prevent them from doing so. These problems include both the way they are treated at the clinics (especially the problem of verbal abuse) as well as the actual services delivered (no medicines, no help, disorganised, long waiting periods, being turned away). The main problem experienced by the HCWs with service delivery seems to be a heavy workload, as well as the fact that many mothers do not come for follow-up visits.ConclusionEfforts to increase the accessibility of PHC clinics in Duncan Village should focus on improving the relationship between mothers and HCWs and the heavy workload experienced by these workers.

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