Evaluation of Community Health Workers’ Upskilling Training in Maternal and Newborn Care at Mount Hagen in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolly Kulimbua
Keyword(s):  
Community Health ◽  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Maternal And Newborn Care ◽  
Maternal And Newborn

Background:   Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Western highlands Province were given a 6-month CHW upskilling training to enable them to provide essential maternal-newborn care, do timely referral of high risk clients and refer emergencies to hospital. Five trainings were conducted over the five year period. Forty seven (47) CHWs were upskilled over that five year period.   Aim:   To evaluate the effectiveness of the CHW Upskilling Training during 2012 – 2016.   Methods:    A post-training assessment was conducted by direct observations of the CHWs and the Officer in Charges (OICs) at their workplaces. Assessors observed the application of knowledge and skills and determined if there were improvements in the health facilities. Purposeful discussions were carried out to elicit qualitative feedback from CHWs OICs of the health facilities.   Findings:   The findings were impressive. The organisation of health facilities improved with specific schedules made for priority reproductive and maternal health services. The recording of maternal and newborn care services indicated great improvement. The ANC, family planning and labour ward registers indicated the kinds of services provided including management of life-threatening conditions. Records show reduced maternal and newborn deaths. Records also show reduced unnecessary referrals.   Conclusions:   The CHW Up skilling Training Program is an effective intervention to improve reproductive health and maternal-newborn services in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, particularly where there are no midwives, or higher category health care providers. It has contributed to improved maternal-newborn survival.   Recommendations:   The evaluation recommends that the CHW Upskilling Training should reach more CHWs to fill in gaps in health facilities where there are no midwives or doctor. In Papua New Guinea, the CHWs Upskilling program in maternal and newborn care is recommended for all CHWs.

scholarly journals Engaging community health workers in maternal and newborn care in eastern Uganda

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 23968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Okuga ◽  
Margaret Kemigisa ◽  
Sarah Namutamba ◽  
Gertrude Namazzi ◽  
Peter Waiswa
Keyword(s):  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Maternal And Newborn Care ◽  
Eastern Uganda ◽  
Maternal And Newborn

scholarly journals Feasibility of task-sharing with community health workers for the identification, emergency management and referral of women with pre-eclampsia, in Mozambique

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperança Sevene ◽  
Helena Boene ◽  
Marianne Vidler ◽  
Anifa Valá ◽  
Salésio Macuacua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Community Level ◽  
System Level ◽  
Task Sharing ◽  
Care Providers

Abstract Background Maternal mortality is an important public health problem in low-income countries. Delays in reaching health facilities and insufficient health care professionals call for innovative community-level solutions. There is limited evidence on the role of community health workers in the management of pregnancy complications. This study aimed to describe the feasibility of task-sharing the initial screening and initiation of obstetric emergency care for pre-eclampsia/eclampsia from the primary healthcare providers to community health workers in Mozambique and document healthcare facility preparedness to respond to referrals. Method The study took place in Maputo and Gaza Provinces in southern Mozambique and aimed to inform the Community-Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia (CLIP) cluster randomized controlled trial. This was a mixed-methods study. The quantitative data was collected through self-administered questionnaires completed by community health workers and a health facility survey; this data was analysed using Stata v13. The qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with various community groups, health care providers, and policymakers. All discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim prior to thematic analysis using QSR NVivo 10. Data collection was complemented by reviewing existing documents regarding maternal health and community health worker policies, guidelines, reports and manuals. Results Community health workers in Mozambique were trained to identify the basic danger signs of pregnancy; however, they have not been trained to manage obstetric emergencies. Furthermore, barriers at health facilities were identified, including lack of equipment, shortage of supervisors, and irregular drug availability. All primary and the majority of secondary-level facilities (57%) do not provide blood transfusions or have surgical capacity, and thus such cases must be referred to the tertiary-level. Although most healthcare facilities (96%) had access to an ambulance for referrals, no transport was available from the community to the healthcare facility. Conclusions This study showed that task-sharing for screening and pre-referral management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia were deemed feasible and acceptable at the community-level, but an effort should be in place to address challenges at the health system level.

scholarly journals Existing barriers to utilization of health services for maternal and newborn care in rural Western Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
George Ayodo ◽  
George O. Onyango ◽  
Salome Wawire ◽  
Nadia Diamond-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Maternal And Newborn Care ◽  
Maternal And Newborn

Abstract Background Understanding the existing barriers to utilization of maternal and newborn health care services can inform improvement of care services in the rural settings in sub-Saharan Africa. However, how unintended pregnancy relates to the uptake of antenatal care (ANC) services and also how gaps in the role of the community health workers and health facilities affect maternal and newborn care and referral services are poorly understood. Methods This was a formative ethnographic study design to determine barriers to the utilization of health care services for maternal and newborns in rural Western Kenya. We interviewed 45 respondents through in-depth interviews in rural Bondo Sub- County, Western Kenya: Mothers and Fathers with children under 5 years), 2 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA), and 2 FGDs with Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs). The data were analyzed using Atlas-ti. Results We found that unintended pregnancy results into poor uptake of antenatal care (ANC) services due to limited knowledge and poor support system. The respondents appreciated the role of community health workers but poor government infrastructure exists. Also, perceived harshness of the health care providers, poor management of high-risk pregnancies, and unavailability of supplies and equipment at the health facilities are of concern. Conclusions The findings of this study highlight barriers to the utilization of maternal and newborn services that if addressed can improve the quality of care within and outside health facilities.

scholarly journals Brazil’s Community Health Workers Practicing Narrative Medicine: Patients’ Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rogério Meireles Pinto ◽  
Rahbel Rahman ◽  
Margareth Santos Zanchetta ◽  
W. Galhego-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Narrative Medicine ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Patient Perspectives ◽  
Care Providers

Abstract Background Narrative medicine (NM) encourages health care providers to draw on their personal experiences to establish therapeutic alliances with patients of prevention and care services. NM medicine practiced by nurses and physicians has been well documented, yet there is little understanding of how community health workers (CHWs) apply NM concepts in their day-to-day practices from patient perspectives. Objective To document how CHWs apply specific NM concepts in Brazil’s Family Health Strategy (FHS), the key component of Brazil’s Unified Health System. Design We used a semi-structured interview, grounded in Charon’s (2001) framework, including four types of NM relationships: provider–patient, provider–colleague, provider–society, and provider–self. A hybrid approach of thematic analysis was used to analyze data from 27 patients. Key Results Sample: 18 females; 13 White, 12 “Pardo” (mixed races), 12 Black. We found: (1) provider–patient relationship—CHWs offered health education through compassion, empathy, trustworthiness, patience, attentiveness, jargon-free communication, and altruism; (2) provider–colleague relationship—CHWs lacked credibility as perceived by physicians, impacting their effectiveness negatively; (3) provider–society relationship—CHWs mobilized patients civically and politically to advocate for and address emerging health care and prevention needs; (4) provider–self relationship—patients identified possible low self-esteem among CHWs and a need to engage in self-care practices to abate exhaustion from intense labor and lack of resources. Conclusion This study adds to patient perspectives on how CHWs apply NM concepts to build and sustain four types of relationships. Findings suggest the need to improve provider–colleague relationships by ongoing training to foster cooperation among FHS team members. More generous organizational supports (wellness initiatives and supervision) may facilitate the provider–self relationship. Public education on CHWs’ roles is needed to enhance the professional and societal credibility of their roles and responsibilities. Future research should investigate how CHWs’ personality traits may influence their ability to apply NM.

scholarly journals Knowledge and attitudes of tuberculosis management in San Juan de Lurigancho district of Lima, Peru

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 783-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Kiefer ◽  
Theresa Shao ◽  
Olveen Carrasquillo ◽  
Pamela Nabeta ◽  
Carlos Seas
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Community Health Workers ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
San Juan ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes

Background: Expansion of the health care workforce in Peru to combat tuberculosis (TB) includes both professional health care providers (HCPs) such as doctors and nurses, and non-professional HCPs such as community health workers (CHWs). We describe the knowledge and attitudes of these HCPs, and identify modifiable barriers to appropriate anti-tuberculosis treatment.  Methodology: We surveyed HCPs practicing in 30 clinical settings (hospitals, community health centers, and health posts) in the San Juan de Lurigancho district of Eastern Lima, Peru. Multiple-choice questions were used to assess knowledge of TB. A five-item Likert scale was created to assess attitudes toward the community, patients, and clinics. Linear regression was used to identify predictors of mean knowledge score, and analysis of variance was used to test differences in HCP score.  Results: Of the 73 HCPs surveyed, 15% were professionals (doctors or nurses). The remaining 85% were health technicians, community health workers (CHWs) or students. The mean knowledge score was 10.0 ± 1.9 (maximum 14) with professional HCPs scoring higher than other HCPs (11.7 ± 1.1 vs. 9.7 ± 1.9), p < .01). Knowledge gaps included identification of patients at high risk for TB, assessment of treatment outcomes, and consequences of treatment failure. The most commonly cited modifiable barriers were structural, including laboratory facilities and staffing of TB clinics, with 52.1% and 62.5% of HCPs, respectively, citing these as problematic.  Conclusions: Efforts to improve knowledge of TB HCPs in Peru should focus on the specific gaps we have identified. Further research is needed to evaluate whether these knowledge gaps correlate with TB control.     

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