Agustina Mazzoni, Javier Roberti, Marina Guglielmino, Ana María Nadal, Yanina Mazzaresi, Andrea Falaschi, Patricia J García, Laura Espinoza-Pajuelo, Jesús Medina-Ranilla, Hannah H Leslie, Juan Manuel Gómez Portillo, María Gabriela Masier, Ezequiel García-Elorrio
{"title":"Service Delivery Redesign for Noncommunicable Disease Management: Assessment of Needs and Solutions Through a Co-Creation Process in Argentina.","authors":"Agustina Mazzoni, Javier Roberti, Marina Guglielmino, Ana María Nadal, Yanina Mazzaresi, Andrea Falaschi, Patricia J García, Laura Espinoza-Pajuelo, Jesús Medina-Ranilla, Hannah H Leslie, Juan Manuel Gómez Portillo, María Gabriela Masier, Ezequiel García-Elorrio","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00208","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00208","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>In Argentina, the implementation of a national strategy to reduce the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has been hampered by challenges at the provincial level. We aimed to design a new model of care for NCDs at the primary care level by conducting a multimodal system assessment and co-design of potential solutions in the province of Mendoza.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We carried out a mixed-methods study with 7 components: evaluation of patterns of care, patient focus groups, cross-sectional standardized population-based phone survey, an electronic cohort follow-up of patients with type 2 diabetes, in-depth interviews with stakeholders, a knowledge test for health care providers on chronic condition management, and a Delphi consensus to provide recommendations from stakeholders.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Focus group and in-depth interviews revealed access to primary health care for NCDs was associated with problems with long waiting times and time-consuming procedures for referral to laboratory tests, hospital care, and provision of medication. Mental health care services were particularly limited. Survey respondents (N=1,190) were predominantly covered through public (41%) or social security sectors (54%); 41% fell in the lowest income group. Contact with the health system was high (5.7 annual visits), but 19.7% reported unmet health care needs. Public sector providers perceived they provided high-quality care despite insufficient material and human resources. Within the social security sector, the main challenge was insufficient staff, particularly affecting mental health care. Health care providers showed a higher percentage of correct answers to depression-related questions, but worse results were seen in hypertension and diabetes care. Actions supported by evidence and expert agreement were identified for implementation to guide future system changes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our research highlights the potential for Argentina's primary care system to initiate transformative, system-level changes aimed at improving health outcomes. We propose an innovative methodological assessment and co-design for improving primary care.</p>","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142812776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wouter Bakker, Thomas van den Akker, Jelle Stekelenburg
{"title":"Self-Reflection as a Starting Point: Observations in Global Health Research.","authors":"Wouter Bakker, Thomas van den Akker, Jelle Stekelenburg","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-23-00381","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-23-00381","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142681563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shayne R van Aswegen, Mark T Richards, Brenda M Morrow
{"title":"The Case for Parent-Implemented Programs to Mitigate Musculoskeletal Complications in Children With Severe Cerebral Palsy in Resource-Limited Settings.","authors":"Shayne R van Aswegen, Mark T Richards, Brenda M Morrow","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-23-00463","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-23-00463","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142618628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lara Court, Aurelie Nelson, Reghana Taliep, Sarah Schoetz Dean, Rufaro Mvududu, Lucia Knight, Kathryn Dovel, Thomas Coates, Landon Myer, Dvora L Joseph Davey
{"title":"Health System Factors Influencing the Integration of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis into Antenatal and Postnatal Clinic Services in Cape Town, South Africa.","authors":"Lara Court, Aurelie Nelson, Reghana Taliep, Sarah Schoetz Dean, Rufaro Mvududu, Lucia Knight, Kathryn Dovel, Thomas Coates, Landon Myer, Dvora L Joseph Davey","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00166","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00166","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective and safe option to prevent HIV acquisition and vertical HIV transmission in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Understanding health system factors influencing the integration of PrEP into care for pregnant and breastfeeding women is key to increasing access. We explored managers' and health care workers' (HCWs) experiences with integrating PrEP into antenatal care and postnatal care services in primary health care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This exploratory qualitative study used codebook thematic analysis, where HCWs were purposively, heterogeneously sampled from an implementation science study. Semistructured individual interviews were conducted with 9 managerial-level staff, and 3 focus group discussions were conducted with HCWs (nurses, midwives, and HIV counselors) providing PrEP (6-7 HCWs per group) between November 2022 and January 2023 (N=28). Interview guides covered health system facilitators, barriers, and recommendations. The Health Systems Dynamics framework guided data analysis and presentation of results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>PrEP integration into antenatal care services was described as acceptable and feasible; however, changes to HIV testing policy and indicators in breastfeeding women are needed to integrate PrEP into postnatal clinics, together with identification of mother and baby as a dyad in visits. Results showed that supportive policies facilitated wider, simplified PrEP provision. The availability and accessibility of prescribing nurses and lay HIV counselors, PrEP (both within facilities and in communities), and information about PrEP for implementers and pregnant and breastfeeding women will be pivotal to facilitating integration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Facilitators for PrEP integration include task-shifting PrEP education and identification of women for PrEP initiation to HIV counselors, changes to national guidelines defining who can prescribe PrEP, revision and integration of PrEP training for HCWs, community-level interventions for PrEP demand creation and stigma reduction, and provision of differentiated PrEP delivery options.</p>","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142692891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alyssa L Davis, Erica Felker-Kantor, Jehan Ahmed, Zachariah Jezman, Beh Kamate, John Munthali, Noella Umulisa, Oumar Yattara
{"title":"Understanding Integrated Community Case Management Institutionalization Processes Within National Health Systems in Malawi, Mali, and Rwanda: A Qualitative Study.","authors":"Alyssa L Davis, Erica Felker-Kantor, Jehan Ahmed, Zachariah Jezman, Beh Kamate, John Munthali, Noella Umulisa, Oumar Yattara","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-23-00509","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-23-00509","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Since 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have recommended integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) of childhood illnesses as an intervention delivered by community health workers (CHWs) in areas with limited access to health facilities to increase access to lifesaving interventions for children younger than 5 years with malaria, pneumonia, or diarrhea. In recent years, the importance of institutionalizing iCCM and community health more broadly within national health systems has become increasingly recognized.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study sought to identify and describe processes of iCCM institutionalization from the perspectives of health system actors. A total of 51 semistructured interviews were conducted with purposefully selected key informants in 3 countries: Malawi, Mali, and Rwanda. Thematic analysis of coded interview data was conducted, and country documentation was reviewed to provide contextual background for qualitative interpretation. The study was informed by a newly developed iCCM Institutionalization Framework, which conceptualizes the process of institutionalization through a maturity model of phases (i.e., awareness, experimentation, expansion, consolidation, and maturity) with 4 drivers: core values, leadership, resources, and policy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to key informant narrative descriptions, processes of iCCM institutionalization reflected a progression of maturity phases, which were iterative rather than linear in progression. All 4 drivers of institutionalization as conceptualized within the iCCM Institutionalization Framework were described by key informants as contributing to the advancement of iCCM institutionalization within their countries. Key informants emphasized the need to continually strengthen or reinforce iCCM institutionalization for it to be sustained within the context of wider health system dynamics.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, key informants viewed government ownership and integration within national systems to define the status of iCCM institutionalization. Further development of the iCCM Institutionalization Framework and other practical sensemaking models could assist health system actors in advancing institutionalization of iCCM and other health interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142784999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samuel J A Robinson, Angus M A Ritchie, Maurizio Pacilli, Debra Nestel, Elizabeth McLeod, Ramesh Mark Nataraja
{"title":"Simulation-Based Education of Health Workers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Samuel J A Robinson, Angus M A Ritchie, Maurizio Pacilli, Debra Nestel, Elizabeth McLeod, Ramesh Mark Nataraja","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00187","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Simulation-based education (SBE) is increasingly used to improve clinician competency and patient care and has been identified as a priority by the World Health Organization for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The primary aim of this review was to investigate the global distribution and effectiveness of SBE for health workers in LMICs. The secondary aim was to determine the learning focus, simulation modalities, and additional evaluation conducted in included studies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis guidelines, searching Ovid (Medline, Embase, and Emcare) and the Cochrane Library from January 1, 2002, to March 14, 2022. Primary research studies reporting evaluation at Level 4 of The Kirkpatrick model were included. Studies on simulation-based assessment and validation were excluded. Quality and risk-of-bias assessments were conducted using appropriate tools. Narrative synthesis and descriptive statistics were used to present the results.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 97 studies were included. Of these, 54 were in sub-Saharan Africa (56%). Forty-seven studies focused on neonatology (48%), 29 on obstetrics (30%), and 16 on acute care (16%). Forty-nine used mannequins (51%), 46 used scenario-based simulation (47%), and 21 used synthetic part-task trainers (22%), with some studies using more than 1 modality. Sixty studies focused on educational programs (62%), while 37 used SBE as an adjunct to broader interventions and quality improvement initiatives (38%). Most studies that assessed for statistical significance demonstrated at least partial improvement in Level 4 outcomes (75%, n=81).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>SBE has been widely applied to improve outcomes in a variety of contexts across LMICs. Modalities of simulation are typically low-technology versions. However, there is a lack of standardized reporting of educational activities, particularly relating to essential features of SBE. Further research is required to determine which approaches are effective in specific contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142604168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Steve Ollis, Milan Kovačević, Bosiljka Djikanovic, Nikola Radoman, Isidora Smigic, Mamadou Alimou Barry
{"title":"Maturity Assessment of the Health Information System Using Stages of Continuous Improvement Methodology: Results From Serbia.","authors":"Steve Ollis, Milan Kovačević, Bosiljka Djikanovic, Nikola Radoman, Isidora Smigic, Mamadou Alimou Barry","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00083","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Since the health information system (HIS) in public health care services in Serbia was introduced in 2009, it has gradually expanded. However, it is unclear how well the HIS components have developed and the whole system's stage of maturity.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In June-September 2021, a maturity assessment of the Serbian HIS was conducted for the first time using the HIS Stages of Continuous Improvement (SOCI) toolkit. The toolkit measures HIS status across 5 HIS domains: leadership and governance, management and workforce, information and communication technology (ICT), standards and interoperability, and data quality and use. The domains were further divided into 13 components and 39 subcomponents whose maturity stage was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale, indicating the level of development: (1) emerging/ad hoc; (2) repeatable; (3) defined; (4) managed; and (5) optimized. The toolkit was applied in a working group of 32 professionals and experts who were engaged in developing the new national eHealth strategy and action plan.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall maturity score of the Serbian HIS was 1.6, which indicates a low level. The highest baseline score (2) was given to the standards and interoperability domain, and the lowest (1.1) was given to ICT infrastructure. The remaining 3 domains (leadership and governance, Management and Workforce, and Data Quality and Use) were similarly rated (1.7, 1.7, and 1.6, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A baseline assessment of the maturity level of Serbian HIS indicates that the majority of components are between the emerging/ad hoc stage and repeatable, which represent isolated, ad hoc efforts, with some basic processes in place and existing and accessible policies. This exercise provided an opportunity to address identified weaknesses in the upcoming national eHealth strategy.</p>","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11521554/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142463200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ona L McCarthy, Nasser Fardousi, Vandana Tripathi, Renae Stafford, Karen Levin, Farhad Khan, Maxine Pepper, Oona M R Campbell
{"title":"Antenatal Care Interventions to Increase Contraceptive Use Following Birth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis.","authors":"Ona L McCarthy, Nasser Fardousi, Vandana Tripathi, Renae Stafford, Karen Levin, Farhad Khan, Maxine Pepper, Oona M R Campbell","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00059","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Health risks associated with short interpregnancy intervals, coupled with women's desires to avoid pregnancy following childbirth, underscore the need for effective postpartum family planning programs. The antenatal period provides an opportunity to intervene; however, evidence is limited on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reaching women in the antenatal period to increase voluntary postpartum family planning in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This systematic review aimed to identify and describe interventions in LMICs that attempted to increase postpartum contraceptive use via contacts with pregnant women in the antenatal period.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Studies published from January 2012 to July 2022 were considered if they were conducted in LMICs, evaluated an intervention delivered during the antenatal period, were designed to affect postpartum contraceptive use, were experimental or quasi-experimental, and were published in French or English. The main outcome of interest was postpartum contraceptive use within 1 year after birth, defined as the use of any method of contraception at the time of data collection. We searched EMBASE, Global Health, and Medline and manually searched the reference lists from studies included in the full-text screening.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We double-screened 771 records and included 34 reports on 31 unique interventions in the review. Twenty-three studies were published from 2018 on, with 21 studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately half of the study designs (n=16) were randomized controlled trials, and half (n=15) were quasi-experimental. Interventions were heterogeneous. Among the 24 studies that reported on the main outcome of interest, 18 reported a positive intervention effect, with intervention recipients having greater contraceptive use in the first year postpartum.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While the studies in this systematic review were heterogeneous, the findings suggest that interventions that included a multifaceted package of initiatives appeared to be most likely to have a positive effect.</p>","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11521549/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142284336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Holly M Burke, Philip Mkandawire, Mary Mulombe Phiri, Fannie Kachale, Kristen Little, Caroline Bakasa, Luwiza Puleni, Eden Demise, Paola Letona, Gwyneth Austin, Moses Kumwenda
{"title":"Documenting the Provision of Emergency Contraceptive Pills Through Youth-Serving Delivery Channels: Exploratory Mixed Methods Research on Malawi's Emergency Contraception Strategy.","authors":"Holly M Burke, Philip Mkandawire, Mary Mulombe Phiri, Fannie Kachale, Kristen Little, Caroline Bakasa, Luwiza Puleni, Eden Demise, Paola Letona, Gwyneth Austin, Moses Kumwenda","doi":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00076","DOIUrl":"10.9745/GHSP-D-24-00076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are effective and can be used safely at any age repeatedly within the same cycle. They are often favored by youth yet are underutilized. Private facilities can increase ECP access but present barriers including cost. Identifying effective public-sector ECP distribution models can help ensure equitable access. The Malawi Ministry of Health developed a strategy to improve ECP access in 2020. We documented ECP provision through select public, youth-serving channels recommended by the strategy: general and youth-specific outreach, paid and unpaid community health workers (CHWs), and youth clubs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted this mixed methods study from November 2022-March 2023 in 2 rural districts (Mchinji and Phalombe) implementing the strategy. We conducted qualitative interviews with 10 national stakeholders, 46 providers, and 24 clients aged 15-24 years about ECP service delivery. Additionally, 25 providers collected quantitative tally data about clients seeking ECPs. We analyzed qualitative data using grounded theory and quantitative data descriptively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Stakeholders and providers reported ECP uptake increased in geographies where the strategy was implemented, especially among youth. Providers documented 3,988 client visits for ECPs over 3 months. Of these visits, 26% were from male clients, 36% were from clients aged younger than 20 years, and 64% received ECPs for the first time. Across channels, youth club leaders and unpaid CHWs reported the most client visits per provider and served the youngest clients. However, no ECPs were dispensed during 29% of visits due to stock-outs. While many providers were supportive of youth accessing ECPs, most held unfavorable attitudes toward repeat use.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>ECP access should be expanded through provision in the studied channels, especially youth clubs and CHWs. However, to meet demand, the supply chain must be strengthened. We recommend addressing providers' attitudes about repeat use to ensure informed method choice.</p>","PeriodicalId":12692,"journal":{"name":"Global Health: Science and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11521556/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142371594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}