scholarly journals A conceptual evaluation framework for the water and sanitation for health facility improvement tool (WASH FIT)

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 380-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Weber ◽  
Molly Patrick ◽  
Arabella Hayter ◽  
Andrea L. Martinsen ◽  
Rick Gelting
Keyword(s):  
Health Facility ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Water And Sanitation

Abstract Healthcare facilities (HCFs) in low- and middle-income countries frequently lack water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services that are adequate to implement infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, decrease healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, and provide quality healthcare. The Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT), initially published in 2017 and updated in 2018, is a risk-based, continuous improvement framework. The tool aims to improve WASH and related facility management and may contribute to quality of care (QoC) efforts. To date, there is no guidance available on how to monitor and evaluate the use of this tool nor is there rigorous evidence on its effectiveness. We developed a conceptual WASH FIT evaluation framework by drawing from the broader WASH, health systems strengthening, and QoC evidence base. This framework provides a common basis to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate potential inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impacts from applying WASH FIT. Routine use of the tool, coupled with WASH infrastructure improvements as guided by the tool, can lead to better IPC practices, and may support improvements in occupational safety, QoC, global health security, and ultimately progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals 3 (good health and well-being) and 6 (clean water and sanitation).

Planning and health: defining the limitations of regulation and the discretionary context at the micro/site scale

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (0) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Adam Sheppard ◽  
Katie McClymont
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Town Planning ◽  
The People ◽  
Management Aspect ◽  
The Right ◽  
Health Narrative

Planning, at its most basic, is about making better places. In recent years, there has been a positive renewed focus on strengthening the links between planning and the promotion of well-being and good health outcomes. This is a welcome emphasis with origins relatable to the health narrative in the 1909 Housing and Town Planning Etc. Act. Within the post-1947 Town and Country Planning Act context, planning in some respects regressed to a land-use and infrastructure focus, with health considerations limited to physical-health infrastructure provisions and environmental/amenity considerations. This relatively recent ‘reuniting’ of planning and health is one way in which planning has been expressly identified as central to the ability of the state to improve the quality of life of the people. This is based on two implicit assumptions. First, that the characteristics of the built environment have an impact on the health of the population, and second, that planning, via its current policy, regulatory and legislative provisions, has the right tools to achieve positive on-the-ground changes in relation to this. The first aspect of this is well established through a public-health evidence base; the second, however, remains substantively under-researched as part of a broader lack of attention paid to the regulatory or development management aspect of planning. This article begins to address this deficit by examining the manner in which issues of health are or are not encompassed in decision making on the site scale by looking at appeal decisions into the location of fast-food outlets. By so doing, it challenges some of the assumptions inherent in policy aspirations and calls for a renewed and detailed investigation of the tools needed to achieve such good intentions on the ground.

scholarly journals ‘When you preach water and you drink wine’: WASH in healthcare facilities in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thelma Zulfawu Abu ◽  
Susan J. Elliott ◽  
Diana Karanja
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Healthcare Facilities

Abstract Access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene, waste management and environment cleaning (WASH) in healthcare facilities (HCFs) is critical for infection prevention and control. The WHO/UNICEF 2019 global baseline report on WASH in HCFs indicates that 51 and 23% of those in sub-Saharan Africa have basic access to water and sanitation, respectively. Guided by the political ecology of health theory, this research engaged with 13 key informants, 16 healthcare workers and 31 community members on their experiences on the implementation, use and management of WASH in HCFs. Interviews were conducted in one informal settlement and three rural dispensaries in Kisumu, Kenya from May to September 2019. Findings indicate improvement in water access, yet water quality and other WASH service components remain a challenge even in newly constructed maternity facilities, thus impacting local health promotion efforts. Institutional challenges such as limited financial resources and ecological factors like climate variability and disease outbreaks compromised WASH infrastructure and HCF resilience. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, good health and well-being, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 6, clean water and sanitation, the prioritisation of WASH in HCFs is required at all levels, from the local to the global.

scholarly journals Water and health in mining settings in sub-Saharan Africa: A mixed methods geospatial visualization

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Leuenberger ◽  
Dominik Dietler ◽  
Isaac Lyatuu ◽  
Andrea Farnham ◽  
Fadhila Kihwele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Clean Water ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Mining Projects

Industrial mining transforms local landscapes, including important health determinants like clean water and sanitation. In this paper, we combined macro-level quantitative and micro-level qualitative data to show how mining projects affect water infrastructures and ultimately the health of affected communities. Although we observed a positive trend of water infrastructure in mining settings, surrounding communities are also characterized by water scarcity and degradation of water quality. The video at the core of this publication showcases inter-linkages of the findings obtained at both the macro- and the micro-levels, embedding our results in a geospatial context. While mining projects can have positive impacts on the development of local water infrastructure, improved management of negative impacts of mining projects is needed for promoting ‘Good health and well-being’ and ‘Clean water and sanitation’ as promulgated by the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

scholarly journals Using the Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT) in Zimbabwe: A Cross-Sectional Study of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in 50 COVID-19 Isolation Facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5641
Author(s):  
Mitsuaki Hirai ◽  
Victor Nyamandi ◽  
Charles Siachema ◽  
Nesbert Shirihuru ◽  
Lovemore Dhoba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Facility ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Isolation Facilities ◽  
Health Care Waste

The availability of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is a key prerequisite for quality care and infection prevention and control in health care facilities (HCFs). In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance and urgency of enhancing WASH coverage to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and other healthcare-associated infections. As a part of COVID-19 preparedness and response interventions, the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and civil society organizations conducted WASH assessments in 50 HCFs designated as COVID-19 isolation facilities. Assessments were based on the Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT), a multi-step framework to inform the continuous monitoring and improvement of WASH services. The WASH FIT assessments revealed that one in four HCFs did not have adequate services across the domains of water, sanitation, health care waste, hand hygiene, facility environment, cleanliness and disinfection, and management. The sanitation domain had the largest proportion of health care facilities with poor service coverage (42%). Some of the recommendations from this assessment include the provision of sufficient water for all users, Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)- and disability-friendly sanitation facilities, handwashing facilities, waste collection services, energy for incineration or waste treatment facilities, cleaning supplies, and financial resources for HCFs. WASH FIT may be a useful tool to inform WASH interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Inclusion of Transgender Voice and Communication Training in a University Clinic

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Oates ◽  
Georgia Dacakis
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
Effectiveness Of Training ◽  
Negative Impacts

Because of the increasing number of transgender people requesting speech-language pathology services, because having gender-incongruent voice and communication has major negative impacts on an individual's social participation and well-being, and because voice and communication training is supported by an improving evidence-base, it is becoming more common for universities to include transgender-specific theoretical and clinical components in their speech-language pathology programs. This paper describes the theoretical and clinical education provided to speech-language pathology students at La Trobe University in Australia, with a particular focus on the voice and communication training program offered by the La Trobe Communication Clinic. Further research is required to determine the outcomes of the clinic's training program in terms of student confidence and competence as well as the effectiveness of training for transgender clients.

scholarly journals Safer primary healthcare facilities are needed to protect healthcare workers and maintain essential services: lessons learned from a multicountry COVID-19 emergency response initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. e005833
Author(s):  
Leena N Patel ◽  
Samantha Kozikott ◽  
Rodrigue Ilboudo ◽  
Moreen Kamateeka ◽  
Mohammed Lamorde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Facility ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
National Level ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Health Facility Level ◽  
Ensure Patient Safety ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Facility Level

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of infection from SARS-CoV-2 and other disease pathogens, which take a disproportionate toll on HCWs, with substantial cost to health systems. Improved infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes can protect HCWs, especially in resource-limited settings where the health workforce is scarcest, and ensure patient safety and continuity of essential health services. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we collaborated with ministries of health and development partners to implement an emergency initiative for HCWs at the primary health facility level in 22 African countries. Between April 2020 and January 2021, the initiative trained 42 058 front-line HCWs from 8444 health facilities, supported longitudinal supervision and monitoring visits guided by a standardised monitoring tool, and provided resources including personal protective equipment (PPE). We documented significant short-term improvements in IPC performance, but gaps remain. Suspected HCW infections peaked at 41.5% among HCWs screened at monitored facilities in July 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic in Africa. Disease-specific emergency responses are not the optimal approach. Comprehensive, sustainable IPC programmes are needed. IPC needs to be incorporated into all HCW training programmes and combined with supportive supervision and mentorship. Strengthened data systems on IPC are needed to guide improvements at the health facility level and to inform policy development at the national level, along with investments in infrastructure and sustainable supplies of PPE. Multimodal strategies to improve IPC are critical to make health facilities safer and to protect HCWs and the communities they serve.

scholarly journals Sterilization regret in India: Is quality of care a matter of concern?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjali Bansal ◽  
Laxmi Kant Dwivedi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Family Planning ◽  
Health Facility ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Public Health Facility ◽  
The Family ◽  
Planning Methods

Abstract Background According to United Nations, 19% of females in the world relied only on the permanent method of family planning, with 37% in India according to NFHS-4. Limited studies tried to measure the sterilization regret, and its correlated factors. The study tried to explore the trend of sterilization regret in India from 1992 to 2015 and to elicit the determining effects of various factors on sterilization regret, especially in context to perceived quality of care in the sterilization operations and type of providers. Data and methods The pooled data from NFHS-1, NFHS-3 and NFHS-4 was used to explore the regret by creating interaction between time and all the predictors. Predicted probabilities were calculated to show the trend of sterilization regret amounting to quality of care, type of health provider at the three time periods. Results The sterilization regret was increased from 5 % in NFHS-1 to 7 % in NFHS-4. According to NFHS-4, for those whose sterilization was performed in private health facility the regret was found to be less (OR-0.937; 95% CI- (0.882–0.996)) compared to public health facility. Also, the results show a two-fold increase in regret when women reported bad quality of care. The results from predicted probabilities provide enough evidence that the regret due to bad quality of care in sterilization operation had increased with each subsequent round of NFHS. Conclusion Many socio-economic and demographic factors have influenced the regret, but the poor quality of care contributed maximum to the regret from 1992 to 2015. The health facilities have seriously strayed from improving the health and well-being of women in providing the family planning methods. In addition, to public facilities, the regret amounting to private facilities have also increased from NFHS-1 to 4. The quality of care provided in the family planning operation should be standardized in every hospital to strengthen the health systems in the country. The couple should be motivated to adopt more of spacing methods.

scholarly journals Understanding what matters most to patients in acute care in seven countries, using the flash mob study design

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva S. van den Ende ◽  
◽  
Bo Schouten ◽  
Marjolein N. T. Kremers ◽  
Tim Cooksley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Patient Perspective ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Patient Centred Care ◽  
Trial Register ◽  
What Matters

Abstract Background Truly patient-centred care needs to be aligned with what patients consider important, and is highly desirable in the first 24 h of an acute admission, as many decisions are made during this period. However, there is limited knowledge on what matters most to patients in this phase of their hospital stay. The objective of this study was to identify what mattered most to patients in acute care and to assess the patient perspective as to whether their treating doctors were aware of this. Methods This was a large-scale, qualitative, flash mob study, conducted simultaneously in sixty-six hospitals in seven countries, starting November 14th 2018, ending 50 h later. One thousand eight hundred fifty adults in the first 24 h of an acute medical admission were interviewed on what mattered most to them, why this mattered and whether they felt the treating doctor was aware of this. Results The most reported answers to “what matters most (and why)?” were ‘getting better or being in good health’ (why: to be with family/friends or pick-up life again), ‘getting home’ (why: more comfortable at home or to take care of someone) and ‘having a diagnosis’ (why: to feel less anxious or insecure). Of all patients, 51.9% felt the treating doctor did not know what mattered most to them. Conclusions The priorities for acutely admitted patients were ostensibly disease- and care-oriented and thus in line with the hospitals’ own priorities. However, answers to why these were important were diverse, more personal, and often related to psychological well-being and relations. A large group of patients felt their treating doctor did not know what mattered most to them. Explicitly asking patients what is important and why, could help healthcare professionals to get to know the person behind the patient, which is essential in delivering patient-centred care. Trial registration NTR (Netherlands Trial Register) NTR7538.

A Powerful Antidote to Physician Burnout: Intensive Healthy Lifestyle and Positive Psychology Approaches

2021 ◽  
pp. 155982762110066
Author(s):  
Liana Lianov
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Lifestyle Interventions ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Physician Burnout ◽  
Lifestyle Medicine ◽  
Persistent Symptoms

Burnout rates among physicians are rapidly rising. Leaders in the movement to address burnout have made the case that health care workplaces need to foster a culture of well-being, including trusting coworker interactions, collaborative and transparent leadership, work-life balance, flexibility, opportunities for meaningful work and for professional development, and effective 2-way communication. The rationale for focusing on organizational change to prevent burnout has pointed to persistent symptoms of burnout even when individual healthy lifestyle interventions are adopted. However, a case can be made that the lifestyle interventions were not implemented at the level of intensity recommended by the lifestyle medicine evidence-base to secure the desired improvement in physical and mental health when facing significant personal and environmental stressors. The lifestyle medicine community has the ethical mandate to advocate for intensive healthy lifestyle approaches to burnout prevention, in conjunction with organizational supports. By combining comprehensive and intensive lifestyle changes with organizational cultures of well-being, we can more effectively turn the tide of physician burnout.

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