Delays in seeking and receiving health care services for pneumonia in children under five in the Peruvian Amazon: a mixed-methods study on caregivers' perceptions

Risk factors for severe disease in pediatric respiratory syncytial virus infections

OBJECTIVES

To assess factors associated with the risk of severe disease in children aged 5 years or younger with laboratory-confirmed respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study in Mexico.

METHODS

Eligible participants included children aged 5 years or younger with laboratory-confirmed RSV infection January 1, 2023, and May 15, 2024. We collected relevant clinical and epidemiological data. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were employed to identify factors associated with the risk of severe disease, characterized by clinical and radiographic evidence of bronchiolitis or pneumonia requiring hospital admission.

RESULTS

Data from 2022 children were analyzed and the overall risk of severe disease was 21.0% (n = 424/2022). In multiple generalized linear regression analysis, a personal history of immunosuppression (due to any cause) showed a protective effect (RR = 0.14, 95% CI 0.05-0.42, P = 0.001) against severe RSV disease, while an increased risk was documented for each additional day elapsed between the date of symptom onset and the date of seeking healthcare RR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10, P = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

These findings provide insights into risk stratification and suggest specific directions for future research. This information informs the development of targeted intervention strategies to mitigate the impact of RSV infections in this vulnerable population.

Identifying and prioritising barriers to injury care in Northern Malawi, results of a multifacility multidisciplinary health facility staff survey

INTRODUCTION

The burden of injuries globally and in Malawi is substantial. Optimising both access to, and quality of, care in health systems requires attention. We aimed to establish how health facility staff in Karonga, Malawi, perceive barriers to seeking (delay 1), reaching (delay 2) and receiving (delay 3) injury care.

METHOD

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health facility staff who treat patients with injuries in all health facilities serving the Karonga Demographic Surveillance Site population. The primary outcome was participant perceptions of the importance of delays 1 to 3 following injury. Secondary outcomes were the barriers within each of these delays considered most important and which were considered the most important across all delays stages.

RESULTS

228 staff completed the survey: 36.8% (84/228) were female and 61.4% (140/228) reported being involved in caring for an injured person at least weekly. Delay 3 was most frequently considered the most important delay 35.1% (80/228), with 19.3% (44/228) and 16.6% (38/228) reporting delays 1 and 2 as the most important respectively; 28.9% (66/228) of respondents either did not know or answer. For delay 1 the barrier, "the perceived financial costs associated with seeking care are too great", was considered most important. For delay 2, the barrier "lack of timely affordable emergency transport (formal or informal)" was considered most important. For delay 3, the barrier, "lack of reliably available necessary physical resources (infrastructure, equipment and consumable material)" was considered most important. When considering the most important overall barrier across all delays, the delay 3 barrier, "lack of reliably available necessary physical resources" received the most nominations (41.7% [95/228]).

CONCLUSIONS

Given the awareness of health facility staff of the issues facing their patients, these findings should assist in informing health system planning.

Recovery Time From Severe Community Acquired Pneumonia and Risk Factors Among Pediatrics, Ethiopia: A Retrospective Follow-Up Study

Introduction. Severe community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a life-threatening condition, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the recovery time from severe CAP and risk factors among pediatric patients. Methods. A retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 412 pediatric medical charts with severe CAP enrolled at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital between January 01, 2021 and December 31, 2022. EpiData version 4.6.0.6 and STATA version 14.2 were used for data entry and statistical analysis, respectively. Bivariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyzes were performed. Result. The median recovery time from severe CAP among pediatric patients was 5 days (IQR = 3-8 days). IDR of recovery from severe CAP was 13.089 per 100 [95%CI: 11.82, 14.49] pediatric days observations. The cumulative incidence of recovery from severe CAP was 89.56% [n = 369, 95%CI: 86.20, 92.18]. Age [AHR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.12, 2.13, P = .007], vaccination status [AHR = 1.29, 95%CI: 1.03, 1.63, P = .027], presence of danger signs [AHR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.26, 2.05, P = .000], presence of comorbidity [AHR = 1.67, 95%CI: 1.33, 2.10, P = .000], duration of seeking care [AHR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.18, 2.47, P = .004], and oxygen therapy [AHR = 1.45, 95%CI:1.12, 1.87, P = .004] were statistically significant risk factors for recovery time from severe CAP. Conclusions. The median recovery time of patients with severe CAP is relatively high. Age, vaccination status, presence of danger signs, presence of comorbidities, duration of seeking care, and oxygen therapy were statistically significant risk factors of recovery time from severe CAP.

Suboptimal child healthcare practices and the development of multiple infectious diseases in children aged 24-59 months

Background

Infections continue to be a major cause of death among children under the age of five worldwide. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with the development of multiple infectious diseases in children aged 24-59 months in Indonesia.

Methods

Data from the 2018 Basic Health Research conducted by the Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia, were used. Information from 39,948 children aged 24-59 months was analyzed. The outcome variable was the development of multiple infectious diseases, that is, acute respiratory infections, pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, diarrhea, and hepatitis, in the month before the survey. Factors significantly associated with multiple types of infectious diseases were examined using logistic regression.

Results

The study found that 76.6% of children aged 24 to 59 months in Indonesia had at least one type of infectious disease. The likelihood of developing multiple types of infectious diseases increased in children whose parents did not practice appropriate handwashing with soap and running water [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.16, p < 0.001], those who received supplemental food (aOR = 1.38, p < 0.001), those with poor nutritional status (aOR = 1.12, p < 0.001), and those living in urban areas (aOR = 1.07, p = 0.045).

Conclusion

Improving caregivers' awareness of adequate child healthcare practices, in addition to nutrition-sensitive and specific interventions to improve children's nutritional status, is required to prevent children from contracting multiple types of infectious diseases.

Identifying delays in healthcare seeking and provision: The Three Delays-in-Healthcare and mortality among infants and children aged 1-59 months

Delays in illness recognition, healthcare seeking, and in the provision of appropriate clinical care are common in resource-limited settings. Our objective was to determine the frequency of delays in the "Three Delays-in-Healthcare", and factors associated with delays, among deceased infants and children in seven countries with high childhood mortality. We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study using data from verbal autopsies and medical records for infants and children aged 1-59 months who died between December 2016 and February 2022 in six sites in sub-Saharan Africa and one in South Asia (Bangladesh) and were enrolled in Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS). Delays in 1) illness recognition in the home/decision to seek care, 2) transportation to healthcare facilities, and 3) the receipt of clinical care in healthcare facilities were categorized according to the "Three Delays-in-Healthcare". Comparisons in factors associated with delays were made using Chi-square testing. Information was available for 1,326 deaths among infants and under 5 children. The majority had at least one identified delay (n = 854, 64%). Waiting >72 hours after illness recognition to seek health care (n = 422, 32%) was the most common delay. Challenges in obtaining transportation occurred infrequently when seeking care (n = 51, 4%). In healthcare facilities, prescribed medications were sometimes unavailable (n = 102, 8%). Deceased children aged 12-59 months experienced more delay than infants aged 1-11 months (68% vs. 61%, P = 0.018). Delays in seeking clinical care were common among deceased infants and children. Additional study to assess the frequency of delays in seeking clinical care and its provision among children who survive is warranted.

Health system assessment for access to care after injury in low- or middle-income countries: A mixed methods study from Northern Malawi

BACKGROUND

Injuries represent a vast and relatively neglected burden of disease affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While many health systems underperform in treating injured patients, most assessments have not considered the whole system. We integrated findings from 9 methods using a 3 delays approach (delays in seeking, reaching, or receiving care) to prioritise important trauma care health system barriers in Karonga, Northern Malawi, and exemplify a holistic health system assessment approach applicable in comparable settings.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

To provide multiple perspectives on each conceptual delay and include data from community-based and facility-based sources, we used 9 methods to examine the injury care health system. The methods were (1) household survey; (2) verbal autopsy analysis; (3) community focus group discussions (FGDs); (4) community photovoice; (5) facility care-pathway process mapping and elucidation of barriers following injury; (6) facility healthcare worker survey; (7) facility assessment survey; (8) clinical vignettes for care process quality assessment of facility-based healthcare workers; and (9) geographic information system (GIS) analysis. Empirical data collection took place in Karonga, Northern Malawi, between July 2019 and February 2020. We used a convergent parallel study design concurrently conducting all data collection before subsequently integrating results for interpretation. For each delay, a matrix was created to juxtapose method-specific data relevant to each barrier identified as driving delays to injury care. Using a consensus approach, we graded the evidence from each method as to whether an identified barrier was important within the health system. We identified 26 barriers to access timely quality injury care evidenced by at least 3 of the 9 study methods. There were 10 barriers at delay 1, 6 at delay 2, and 10 at delay 3. We found that the barriers "cost," "transport," and "physical resources" had the most methods providing strong evidence they were important health system barriers within delays 1 (seeking care), 2 (reaching care), and 3 (receiving care), respectively. Facility process mapping provided evidence for the greatest number of barriers-25 of 26 within the integrated analysis. There were some barriers with notable divergent findings between the community- and facility-based methods, as well as among different community- and facility-based methods, which are discussed. The main limitation of our study is that the framework for grading evidence strength for important health system barriers across the 9 studies was done by author-derived consensus; other researchers might have created a different framework.

CONCLUSIONS

By integrating 9 different methods, including qualitative, quantitative, community-, patient-, and healthcare worker-derived data sources, we gained a rich insight into the functioning of this health system's ability to provide injury care. This approach allowed more holistic appraisal of this health system's issues by establishing convergence of evidence across the diverse methods used that the barriers of cost, transport, and physical resources were the most important health system barriers driving delays to seeking, reaching, and receiving injury care, respectively. This offers direction and confidence, over and above that derived from single methodology studies, for prioritising barriers to address through health service development and policy.

Delays in seeking treatment for fever in children under five years of age in Nigeria: Evidence from the National Demographic Health Survey

BACKGROUND

In countries with high child mortality rates, such as Nigeria, early intervention for common childhood illnesses (e.g., pneumonia and malaria) is essential for improving clinical outcomes. The timely reporting and treatment of fever is therefore critical in making a differential diagnosis and choosing an appropriate course of treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and major risk factors associated with delays in seeking treatment for fever in children under five years of age in Nigeria.

METHODS

This study used a total weighted sample of 7,466 children under five years of age from the 2018 National Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. Multivariable binary logistic regression modelling was used to investigate the association between predisposing, enabling, need, health service and community level factors, and delay in treatment-seeking for fever.

RESULTS

We report the delays in seeking treatment for childhood fever that was reported by mothers in the last two weeks prior to the national survey. The prevalence for delayed treatment was 62.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 60.1%, 64.1%). Our findings showed that there were fewer delays in seeking treatment in children aged 24-59 months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.93), among mothers who were formally employed (aOR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.96), regularly attended antenatal services (aOR = 0.76, 95%CI: 0.66, 0.88), and for those who resided in wealthier households (aOR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.89). Children whose mothers resided in the North-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria were less likely to delay seeking treatment for fever (aOR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.73). However, mothers who had an unwanted pregnancy had a higher odds of delaying treatment for childhood fever (aOR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.39).

CONCLUSION

There were significant delays in seeking treatment for childhood fever in poorer homes found in geopolitically unstable zones of Nigeria. Mothers who were poor, unemployed, and with younger children (<12 months) often delayed seeking treatment for their febrile child. Future health promotion strategies and microenterprise schemes should target both rural and urban mothers residing in poor households. Children under 12 months of age should be a priority.

Comparison of remote learning methods to on-site teaching -randomized, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

In the digitalized world, there is a need for developing new online teaching and learning methods. Although audio and video recordings are increasingly used in everyday learning, little scientific evidence is available on the efficacy of new online methods. This randomized trial was set out to compare the learning outcomes of online and classroom teaching methods in training healthcare students to diagnose breathing difficulties in children.

METHODS

In total, 301 students of medicine (N = 166) and nursing (N = 135) volunteered to participate in this total sampling study in 2021-2022. The students were randomized into four groups based on teaching methods: classroom teaching (live, N = 72), streamed classroom teaching (live-stream, N = 77), audio recording (podcast, N = 79) and video recording (vodcast, N = 73). Each 45-minute lesson was taught by the same teachers and used the same protocol. The students participated an online test with their own electronic device at three distinct time points: prior to any teaching (baseline), immediately after teaching (final test), and five weeks later (long-term memory test). The test consisted of 10 multiple-choice questions on recognizing breathing difficulties from real-life videos of breathing difficulties in pre-school age. The test results scale ranged from - 26 to 28 points. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA multiple comparison and multiple regression tests.

RESULTS

The mean scores (SD) of the final tests were 22.5 (5.3) in the vodcast, 22.9 (6.1) in the live, 20.0 (5.6) in the podcast (p < 0.05 vs. live) and 20.1 (6.8) in the live-stream group. The mean difference of test scores before and after the lesson improved significantly (p < 0.05) in all study groups, with 12.9 (6.5) in the vodcast, 12.6 (5.6) in the live, 10.9 (7.0) in the live-stream and 10.4 (6.9) in the podcast group. The improvement in test scores was significantly higher in the vodcast (p = 0.016) and the live (p = 0.037) groups than in the podcast group. No significant differences were found between the other groups. However, there was a nonsignificant difference towards better results in the vodcast group compared to the live-stream group.

CONCLUSIONS

While the new online teaching methods produce learning, only video learning is comparable to team teaching in classrooms.

Delay in healthcare seeking for young children with severe pneumonia at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda: A mixed methods cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Globally, pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of under-five mortality, and this can be reduced by prompt healthcare seeking. Data on factors associated with delays in seeking care for children with pneumonia in Uganda is scarce.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to determine the prevalence, factors associated with delay, barriers, and facilitators of prompt healthcare seeking for children under five years of age with severe pneumonia attending Mulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH) Uganda.

METHODS

A mixed methods cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 caregivers of children with severe pneumonia at MNRH. Quantitative data was collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaires and qualitative data through focus group discussions with caregivers. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of delay in care seeking. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors that were independently associated with delay in seeking healthcare. Content thematic analysis was used to analyze for barriers and facilitators of prompt healthcare seeking.

RESULTS

The prevalence of delay in seeking healthcare was 53.6% (95% CI: 48.6-58.6). Long distance to a hospital (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.22-3.01, p value = 0.003), first seeking care elsewhere (AOR = 3.33, 95% CI 1.85-6.01, p value = 0.001), and monthly income ≤100,000 UGX (28 USD) (AOR = 2.27,95% CI 1.33-3.86, p value = 0.003) were independently associated with delay in seeking healthcare. Limited knowledge of symptoms, delayed referrals, self-medication, and low level of education were barriers to prompt healthcare seeking while recognition of symptoms of severe illness in the child, support from spouses, and availability of money for transport were key facilitators of early healthcare seeking.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that more than half of the caregivers delayed seeking healthcare for their children with pneumonia symptoms. Caregivers who first sought care elsewhere, lived more than 5 km from the hospital, and earned less than 28 USD per month were more likely to delay seeking healthcare for their children with severe pneumonia. Limited knowledge of symptoms of pneumonia, self-medication, and delayed referral hindered prompt care-seeking. Key facilitators of prompt care-seeking were accessibility to health workers, support from spouses, and recognition of symptoms of severe illness in children. There is a need for programs that educate caregivers about pneumonia symptoms, in children less than five years.

Predictors associated with critical care need and in-hospital mortality among children with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection in a high HIV infection burden region

Introduction

Despite the extra mortality associated with COVID-19 death globally, there is scant data on COVID-19-related paediatric mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed predictors of critical care needs and hospital mortality in South African children with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in region with high HIV infection burden.

Methods

We conducted a secondary multicentre analysis of the AFREhealth cohort (a multinational, multicentre cohort of paediatric COVID-19 clinical outcomes across six African countries) of children admitted to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli, a quaternary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with confirmed RT-PCR between March 2020 and December 2020. We constructed multivariable logistic regression to explore factors associated with the need for critical care (high care/ intensive care hospitalisation or oxygen requirement) and cox-proportional hazards models to further assess factors independently associated with in-hospital death.

Results

Of the 82 children with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (mean ± SD age: 4.2 ± 4.4 years), 35(42.7%) were younger than one year, 52(63%) were female and 59(71%) had a pre-existing medical condition. Thirty-seven (45.2%) children required critical care (median (IQR) duration: 7.5 (0.5-13.5) days) and 14(17%) died. Independent factors associated with need for critical care were being younger than 1 year (aPR: 3.02, 95%CI: 1.05-8.66; p = 0.04), having more than one comorbidity (aPR: 2.47, 95%CI: 1.32-4.61; p = 0.004), seizure (aPR: 2.39, 95%CI: 1.56-3.68; p < 0.001) and impaired renal function. Additionally, independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were exposure to HIV infection (aHR: 6.8, 95%CI:1.54-31.71; p = 0.01), requiring invasive ventilation (aHR: 3.59, 95%CI: 1.01-12.16, p = 0.048) and increase blood urea nitrogen (aHR: 1.06, 95%CI: 1.01-1.11; p = 0.017). However, children were less likely to die from COVID-19 if they were primarily admitted to quaternary unit (aHR: 0.23, 95%CI: 0.1-0.86, p = 0.029).

Conclusion

We found a relatively high hospital death rate among children with confirmed COVID-19. During COVID-19 waves, a timely referral system and rapid identification of children at risk for critical care needs and death, such as those less than one year and those with comorbidities, could minimize excess mortality, particularly in high HIV-infection burden countries.

Estimating mortality and disability in Peru before the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of the Disease Study 2019

Background

Estimating and analyzing trends and patterns of health loss are essential to promote efficient resource allocation and improve Peru's healthcare system performance.

Methods

Using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (2019), we assessed mortality and disability in Peru from 1990 to 2019. We report demographic and epidemiologic trends in terms of population, life expectancy at birth (LE), mortality, incidence, prevalence, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) caused by the major diseases and risk factors in Peru. Finally, we compared Peru with 16 countries in the Latin American (LA) region.

Results

The Peruvian population reached 33.9 million inhabitants (49.9% women) in 2019. From 1990 to 2019, LE at birth increased from 69.2 (95% uncertainty interval 67.8-70.3) to 80.3 (77.2-83.2) years. This increase was driven by the decline in under-5 mortality (-80.7%) and mortality from infectious diseases in older age groups (+60 years old). The number of DALYs in 1990 was 9.2 million (8.5-10.1) and reached 7.5 million (6.1-9.0) in 2019. The proportion of DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increased from 38.2% in 1990 to 67.9% in 2019. The all-ages and age-standardized DALYs rates and YLLs rates decreased, but YLDs rates remained constant. In 2019, the leading causes of DALYs were neonatal disorders, lower respiratory infections (LRIs), ischemic heart disease, road injuries, and low back pain. The leading risk factors associated with DALYs in 2019 were undernutrition, high body mass index, high fasting plasma glucose, and air pollution. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Peru experienced one of the highest LRIs-DALYs rates in the LA region.

Conclusion

In the last three decades, Peru experienced significant improvements in LE and child survival and an increase in the burden of NCDs and associated disability. The Peruvian healthcare system must be redesigned to respond to this epidemiological transition. The new design should aim to reduce premature deaths and maintain healthy longevity, focusing on effective coverage and treatment of NCDs and reducing and managing the related disability.

Novel application of multi-facility process map analysis for rapid injury care health system assessment in Northern Malawi

OBJECTIVES

We used the process mapping method and Three Delays framework, to identify and visually represent the relationship between critical actions, decisions and barriers to access to care following injury in the Karonga health system, Northern Malawi.

DESIGN

Facilitated group process mapping workshops with summary process mapping synthesis.

SETTING

Process mapping workshops took place in 11 identified health system facilities (one per facility) providing injury care for a population in Karonga, Northern Malawi.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-four healthcare workers from various cadres took part.

RESULTS

An overall injury health system summary map was created using those categories of action, decision and barrier that were sometimes or frequently reported. This provided a visual summary of the process following injury within the health system. For Delay 1 (seeking care) four barriers were most commonly described (by 8 of 11 facilities) these were 'cultural norms', 'healthcare literacy', 'traditional healers' and 'police processes'. For Delay 2 (reaching care) the barrier most frequently described was 'transport'-a lack of timely affordable emergency transport (formal or informal) described by all 11 facilities. For Delay 3 (receiving quality care) the most commonly reported barrier was that of 'physical resources' (9 of 11 facilities).

CONCLUSIONS

We found our novel approach combining several process mapping exercises to produce a summary map to be highly suited to rapid health system assessment identifying barriers to injury care, within a Three Delays framework. We commend the approach to others wishing to conduct rapid health system assessments in similar contexts.

Parents' Caring Approach for Their Children Suffering from Pneumonia-A Study among Bhil Tribes of Maharashtra

Context

In India, pneumonia deaths in the past decade show a decreasing trend in the child mortality rate from 74.6 to 45.4. However, NFHS-5 records an increase in prevalence to 2.8% from 2.7% in NFHS-4. The childhood pneumonia control strategies focus on strengthening the health system, skill-building health workers, counseling, and creating awareness about promoting healthy behaviors regarding the management of sick children.

Aims

The study attempts to understand "caregivers" care-seeking behavior and the management of childhood pneumonia.

Setting and Design

The study was conducted in the Akkalkuwa block of Nandurbar district, Maharashtra, India. We used episodic interviews, asking caregivers to recollect specific events linked to the need for treatment.

Methods and Material

A total of 11 in-depth interviews of mothers were conducted whose under-five children had pneumonia in the past year. These interviews used vignettes from real pneumonia cases to discuss community priorities for health care and actions taken to improve child's health. In addition, the qualitative data from the in-depth interviews were thematically analyzed.

Result

Cough, breathlessness, and disturbance in the routine schedule of the child were the major symptoms to identify pneumonia (vavlya) among children. Branding on the stomach, oil massage, and jadi-buti were commonly observed phenomena to seek help. Low priority, the influence of traditional healers and herbal medicines, and the inaccessibility of quality healthcare services were the main factors that led to the child's treatment.

Conclusion

Culturally appropriate activities are to be imparted on recognition of symptoms and appropriate care seeking, and community health workers need capacity building.

Delay in seeking healthcare for pneumonia and associated factors among mothers/caregivers of children aged 2-59 months in public health facilities in Nekemte town, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Pneumonia is the most significant infectious disease and the predominant cause of death among under-five children (U5C) in low- and middle-income countries. It is the second leading cause of death in Ethiopia. Delay in seeking healthcare is one of the contributing factors to pneumonia-associated mortality. There is a limitation to the study aimed at identifying health-seeking behavior and risk factors in the western part of Ethiopia. The study aimed to determine the level of delay in seeking healthcare for pneumonia and associated factors among caregivers of U5C in public health facilities in Nekemte town, Ethiopia.

METHODS

A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st March to 5^thApril, 2022 using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data from 410 caregivers of children aged 2-59 months. We used a systematic sampling technique for collecting the data. For analysis, data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the associated factors of delay in seeking healthcare for pneumonia at a p-value < 0.05 using a 95% confidence interval (CI) in multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

A proportion of delays in seeking healthcare for pneumonia among children aged 2-59 months is 62.2%. Rural residence (AOR = 2.77, CI:2.48-5.17), child aged ≥12 months (AOR = 5.4,95%CI:4.17-7.20), monthly income < 1000 Ethiopian birr (AOR = 6.11,95%CI:2.16-17.26,), not using health insurance (AOR = 8.93,95%CI:5.43-14.68), use of self-medication (AOR = 10.97,95%CI:1.85-65.3), poor knowledge (AOR = 4.63,95%CI: 1.35-15.9), perceiving illness due to pneumonia as mild (AOR = 14.97,95%CI:9.76-22.9) and no previous admission history (AOR = 2.85,95%CI:1.77-4.56) were significant factors for delay in seeking healthcare for pneumonia among children aged 2-59 months.

CONCLUSION

The study emphasizes that caregivers' delay in seeking healthcare for pneumonia is high. Creating caregivers' awareness or providing adequate health education to develop early healthcare-seeking behavior and encouraging caregivers to use health insurance is essential.

Determinants of care-seeking behaviour for fever, acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea among children under five in Nigeria

Background

Despite available, inexpensive and effective treatments, malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia still contribute the majority of the global burden of childhood morbidity and mortality. Nigeria has the highest absolute numbers of child deaths worldwide. Appropriate care-seeking is important for prompt diagnosis, appropriate and timely treatment, and prevention of complications. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with appropriate care-seeking for childhood illnesses.

Methods

We used the most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2018) to assess the prevalence of appropriate care-seeking among mothers of children under five with symptoms of common childhood illnesses. For diarrhoea, we defined appropriate care-seeking as seeking care from a formal health provider. For fever and acute respiratory infection (ARI), appropriate care-seeking was defined as seeking care from a formal provider the day of or after symptom onset. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to assess factors associated with optimal care-seeking for each illness.

Results

At least 25% of parents did not seek any care for children with fever or ARI; this figure was over one third for diarrhoea. Only 15% and 13% of caregivers showed appropriate care-seeking for their children with fever and ARI respectively, and 27% of mothers sought care from a formal provider for diarrhoea. Predictors of appropriate care-seeking varied according to childhood illness. Previous facility delivery was the only risk factor associated with increased odds of appropriate care-seeking for all three illnesses; other risk factors varied between illnesses.

Conclusion

Overall, care-seeking for childhood illnesses was suboptimal among caregivers in Nigeria. Interventions to increase caregivers’ awareness of the importance of appropriate care-seeking are needed alongside quality of care interventions that reinforce people’s trust in formal health facilities, to improve timely care-seeking and ultimately reduce the high burden of child deaths in Nigeria.

Perception of mothers about Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) and risk factors affecting children Under 5 Years (U5Ys) in Fiji

PURPOSE

To explore the perception of mothers about Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) and their risk factors affecting children Under 5 Years (U5Ys) in Fiji.

DESIGN

This was a qualitative study done in the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Clinic in Ba Hospital, Fiji. Mothers who had brought in their children with ARIs were selected through a purposive sampling method. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used to guide in-depth interviews. The interviews were transcribed and the thematic analysis was done to look at the themes and sub-themes that emerged.

RESULTS

A total of 30 mothers were interviewed. There were five themes that were derived from the interviews including the mothers' perception of ARIs; treatment methods; perceived barriers; services provided by IMCI clinic; and recommendations and suggestions. The mothers were familiar with the causes, risk factors and able to recognize severity of ARIs based on the local context. They mostly relied on traditional and home remedies for ARIs. Most mothers preferred injections for treatment for their child. There were many perceived barriers of ARIs prevention such as traditional norms and poor social support. Most mothers stayed in rural areas which caused poor accessibility to health care services. Few mothers had issues with poor attitude and skills of health care workers.

CONCLUSIONS

There are multiple factors that are barriers in reducing the risks of ARIs. There needs to be policies implemented to support the health of children in the communities as well as social support structures.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study provides a clear picture of the perception of the mothers regarding ARIs in children under five years old. With this information at hand, it is easier to answer the question regarding the perceptions of the mothers of ARIs and the risk factors and design tailored interventions to prevent ARIs among children.

Health facility practices and patterns of prescription influencing health-seeking behaviour among caregivers of children diagnosed with pneumonia in Endebess Sub-county, Kenya

Background

Pneumonia accounts for 16% of all child deaths in Kenya, and it is the second killer of children under the age of five. Pneumonia burden is attributed to inadequate access to healthcare and poor health-seeking by caregivers. Endebess caregivers report delays of 1-14 days and subject their children to medicine from shops before visiting a hospital, as evidenced by the history of the presenting illness in patient files. In addition, irrational prescription has been demonstrated regardless of clinical guidelines. This study explored health facility practices and drug prescription patterns that influence health-seeking behaviour in Endebess Sub-county, Kenya.

Methods

A cross-sectional study involving 273 caregivers accompanied by a qualitative study on 24 health personnel was conducted from May to August 2019. Using a simple random sampling technique, a questionnaire was administered to caregivers visiting the health facilities. Key informant interview guides were also conducted with health care personnel. Quantitative data were analysed using logistic regression, whereas qualitative data were analysed by searching for emerging themes on health facility practices and prescription patterns across health facilities.

Results

Overall, stratification by health facility practices revealed that there were numerous significant results at the level of P<0.001, including the availability of drugs, administration of a starting dose, type of drug prescribed, willingness to recommend the facility, place caregiver seeks treatment (P=0.005) and facility of choice (P=0.001), which all influenced willingness to revisit the hospital. In relation to health information, the significant results at the level of P<0.001 included adequate instructions, the confidence of the caregiver to give the correct dosage at home, satisfaction levels and shared decision making on choices of antibiotic therapy (P=0.005) were associated with a higher willingness to revisit the hospital. There was a varied pattern of prescriptions for antibiotics. Consistently the odds of willingness to revisit the hospital increased among caregivers who had an injection medication prescribed for their children (P=0.380; odds ratio, OR=2.06, 95% confidence interval, CI=0.41-10.42) relative to those on oral medication.

Conclusions

There is a need for strict control of prescribing antibiotics in children under five years. Shared decision making on the choice of therapy should not be limited to chronic illnesses.

Video simulation to learn pediatric resuscitation skills tailored to a low resource setting: A pilot program in Iquitos, Peru

Introduction:

The Hospital Regional de Loreto in Peru partners with the University of California Los Angeles Global Health Program to enhance educational experiences for US and Peruvian trainees. University of California Los Angeles Pediatric faculty led intermittent in-person code simulation sessions for Peruvian residents, and there is a need for regular education on this topic.

Methods:

University of California Los Angeles residents created a video simulation of a patient in respiratory distress. The video was presented to Hospital Regional de Loreto trainees in pediatrics. Stakeholder interviews and reuse of the video after initial presentation assessed acceptability of this mode of education by the site. Pre- and post-surveys using numerical rating scales evaluated the educational utility of this specific simulation video. Paired t-tests compared the pre- and post-surveys in the effectiveness of increasing the trainees’ comfort of specific resuscitation skills.

Results:

Stakeholder interviews revealed the video simulation was integrated into formal intern orientation trainings as well as used for resident and physician trainings multiple times in the year after the introduction. Twenty trainees completed the pre-intervention survey and 19 completed the post-intervention survey. Trainee comfort with code team leadership (2.6 ± 0.9, 3.5 ± 0.09, p = 0.03) and arrhythmia recognition/automated external defibrillator (AED) management (2.4 ± 0.9, 3.1 ± 0.9, p = 0.03) increased significantly with the video intervention. There was no significant difference in comfort with other skills. Overall, trainees rated the helpfulness of the video as an average of 4.2 (±1.1) out of 5. The most common positive feedback included the utility of reviewing medication dosing and the skill of performing chest compressions. The most common suggestions for improvement were to review more pathophysiology and simulate available resources at Hospital Regional de Loreto more realistically.

Conclusion:

E-learning is an acceptable mode of education in a resource-limited setting when tailored to the local context. This pilot project demonstrated short-term improvement in reported confidence and skills with some aspects of pediatric resuscitation.

Assessing Facilitators and Barriers to Referral of Children Under the Age of Five Years at Ndirande Health Centre in Blantyre, Malawi

Patient referrals among health facilities are initiated to maximize receipt of quality care at a proper level within the health system. This study explored the processes, factors that influence, and strategies for referral of children from Ndirande Health Centre to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. We drew a purposive sample comprising health care workers, mothers, fathers, ambulance drivers, and Health Center Advisory Committee (HCAC) members and held 19 in-depth interviews and 1 focus group discussion in August 2020. The referral process is influenced by the availability of motor and bicycle ambulances that are well equipped with medical equipment, delay in seeking health services, uptake of referral, and community support. Education and communication with the community and parents respectively optimize the process of referral. There is a need to improve the referral system of under-five children by instituting a policy that is functional while addressing the main barriers.

Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis among refugees and asylum seekers from war-torn countries

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolitis is a prominent illness in children with a high burden in the developing world. Our objective was to assess bronchiolitis severity among infants and toddlers of refugees and asylum seekers who fled from developing countries with high disease burden to a developed country.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort comparative-group study of children 0-24 months of age who were admitted with a diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis to a tertiary university-affiliated medical center during 2009-2017. The refugees and asylum seekers (study group) were mostly from war-torn African countries, and the control group was comprised of children from Israel (controls), a developed country. The primary outcome was length of stay (LOS), and the secondary outcomes were nutritional support and disease characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 185 patients were included (92 refugees and 93 controls). The mean LOS was higher for the former compared to the latter (4.7 ± 3.2 vs. 3.5 ± 2 days, respectively, p = .004). More hospitalized refugees required nutritional support compared to controls (48% vs. 24%, respectively, p = .002). No differences were found in vital signs, physical findings and symptoms, laboratory results, or complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Refugees and asylum seekers from developing countries presented with a longer RSV bronchiolitis disease course and required more nutritional support compared to their Israeli counterparts. This may suggest a more severe disease.

Assessing trauma care systems in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and evidence synthesis mapping the Three Delays framework to injury health system assessments

BACKGROUND

The large burden of injuries falls disproportionately on low/middle-income countries (LMICs). Health system interventions improve outcomes in high-income countries. Assessing LMIC trauma systems supports their improvement. Evaluating systems using a Three Delays framework, considering barriers to seeking (Delay 1), reaching (Delay 2) and receiving care (Delay 3), has aided maternal health gains. Rapid assessments allow timely appraisal within resource and logistically constrained settings. We systematically reviewed existing literature on the assessment of LMIC trauma systems, applying the Three Delays framework and rapid assessment principles.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and narrative synthesis of articles assessing LMIC trauma systems. We searched seven databases and grey literature for studies and reports published until October 2018. Inclusion criteria were an injury care focus and assessment of at least one defined system aspect. We mapped each study to the Three Delays framework and judged its suitability for rapid assessment.

RESULTS

Of 14 677 articles identified, 111 studies and 8 documents were included. Sub-Saharan Africa was the most commonly included region (44.1%). Delay 3, either alone or in combination, was most commonly assessed (79.3%) followed by Delay 2 (46.8%) and Delay 1 (10.8%). Facility assessment was the most common method of assessment (36.0%). Only 2.7% of studies assessed all Three Delays. We judged 62.6% of study methodologies potentially suitable for rapid assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

Whole health system injury research is needed as facility capacity assessments dominate. Future studies should consider novel or combined methods to study Delays 1 and 2, alongside care processes and outcomes.

Knowledge and healthcare-seeking behavior of family caregivers of children with pneumonia: A qualitative study in an urban community in Indonesia

Background

Childhood pneumonia is the leading cause of death. Family caregivers may have a poor understanding of pneumonia, especially related to prevention and treatment. It is crucial to understand country-specific knowledge and healthcare-seeking behaviors of caregivers of children with pneumonia before planning programmatic responses, particularly in an urban community where the culture-social economic status is diverse.

Objective

This study aimed to describe the knowledge and healthcare-seeking behavior of family caregivers of children with pneumonia in Indonesia's urban community.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted at a public hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 10 December 2019 to 28 January 2020. Ten family caregivers of children with pneumonia were included, and a semi-structured interview was conducted for data collection. The audio recording was transcribed verbatim, and the data were analyzed using content analysis.

Results

The emerged data indicated low knowledge of the family caregivers, especially mothers, which considered pneumonia a common cold only, and they failed to understand the risk of its transmission. Using traditional medicines was the first stage of healthcare-seeking behavior. If the symptoms worsened, the caregivers brought their children to the nearest health center. If there was no change in the symptoms, they headed to the hospital. The health center's location, condition, services, and staff attitude were considered factors to choose the services.

Conclusion

Living in an urban area does not guarantee the family caregivers have better knowledge and good healthcare-seeking behavior. Therefore, nurses should provide comprehensive education about pneumonia, its symptoms, and treatment management to improve family care and prevent pneumonia-related deaths. Integrated management of children with illness is recommended to help the family caregivers of children with pneumonia receive treatment as quickly as possible.

Time-to-Recovery from Severe Pneumonia and Its Determinants Among Children Under-Five Admitted to University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Ethiopia: A Retrospective Follow-Up Study; 2015-2020

Background

Pneumonia, which is an infection and inflammation of an air-space in the lungs due to an impurity. Child mortality due to pheumonia is estimated at 921,000 children under 5 years (U5) in 2015.

Objective

To determine the TTR and factors of severe pneumonia among U5 children admitted at UOGCSH, Northwest Ethiopia.with

Methods

A facility-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted on children U5 severe pneumonia from 2015 to 2020. The data were collected using pre-test and structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata version 14.1.

Result

The average TTR was 3 days IQR (3–6). TTR from severe pneumonia was 13.5 (95% CI: 13.54–17.15) per 100-persons. The cumulative time for children at risk was 1112 days, with a TTR of 29.7 per 100 children per day. Severity, signs and symptoms of pneumonia (AHR, 3.88 (95% CI =3.12–5.57)); mode of infancy feeding (cows milk feeding) (AHR, 2.4, (95% CI: 2.22–6.6)), and formula feeding (AHR, 0.68, (95% CI 0.58–1.25)) as compared to breastfeeding; nutritional status (underweight) (AHR, 2.2, (95% CI: (2.1–3.76)) as compared to normal, age (2–3-years) (AHR, 1.4, (95% CI: 1.31–2.22)), and ≥4-years (AHR, 1.32, (95% CI: 1.3–2.32)) as compared to age of ≤1 year were important factors of TTR.

Conclusion

The overall TTR was 3 days IQR (2–6). This study identifies severity, signs, and symptoms of pneumonia, Mode of infancy feeding (cows milk feeding, formula feeding), nutritional status, and age were main determinants of TTR.

Identifying, Prioritizing and Visually Mapping Barriers to Injury Care in Rwanda: A Multi-disciplinary Stakeholder Exercise

Background

Whilst injuries are a major cause of disability and death worldwide, a large proportion of people in low- and middle-income countries lack timely access to injury care. Barriers to accessing care from the point of injury to return to function have not been delineated.

Methods

A two-day workshop was held in Kigali, Rwanda in May 2019 with representation from health providers, academia, and government. A four delays model (delays to seeking, reaching, receiving, and remaining in care) was applied to injury care. Participants identified barriers at each delay and graded, through consensus, their relative importance. Following an iterative voting process, the four highest priority barriers were identified. Based on workshop findings and a scoping review, a map was created to visually represent injury care access as a complex health-system problem.

Results

Initially, 42 barriers were identified by the 34 participants. 19 barriers across all four delays were assigned high priority; highest-priority barriers were “Training and retention of specialist staff”, “Health education/awareness of injury severity”, “Geographical coverage of referral trauma centres”, and “Lack of protocol for bypass to referral centres”. The literature review identified evidence relating to 14 of 19 high-priority barriers. Most barriers were mapped to more than one of the four delays, visually represented in a complex health-system map.

Conclusion

Overcoming barriers to ensure access to quality injury care requires a multifaceted approach which considers the whole patient journey from injury to rehabilitation. Our results can guide researchers and policymakers planning future interventions.

Applying the Three Delays Model to understand emergency care seeking and delivery in rural Bangladesh: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

The Three Delays Model has been commonly used to understand and prevent maternal mortality but has not been systematically applied to emergency medical conditions more generally. The objective of this study was to identify delays in emergency medical care seeking and delivery in rural Bangladesh and factors contributing to these delays by using the Three Delays Model as a framework.

DESIGN

A qualitative approach was used. Data were collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews using semistructured guides. Two analysts jointly developed a codebook iteratively and conducted a thematic analysis to triangulate results.

SETTING

Six unions in Raiganj subdistrict of Bangladesh.

PARTICIPANTS

Eight focus group discussions with community members (n=59) and eight in-depth interviews with healthcare providers.

RESULTS

Delays in the decision to seek care and timely receipt of care on reaching a health facility were most prominent. The main factors influencing care-seeking decisions included ability to recognise symptoms and decision-making power. Staff and resource shortages and lack of training contributed to delays in receiving care. Delay in reaching care was not perceived as a salient barrier. Both community members and healthcare providers expressed interest in receiving training to improve management of emergency conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The Three Delays Model is a practical framework that can be useful for understanding barriers to emergency care and developing more tailored interventions. In rural Bangladesh, training community members and healthcare providers to recognise symptoms and manage acute conditions can reduce delays in care seeking and receiving adequate care at health facilities.

Health Care–Seeking Behavior of Children With Acute Respiratory Infections Symptoms: Analysis of the 2012 and 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys

Our study examined factors associated with the utilization of health services in children younger than 5 years with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) symptoms in Indonesia. Data were derived from the 2012 and 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey. Information from 1408 children younger than 5 years showing ARI symptoms in the past 2 weeks before the survey was analyzed using logistic regression analyses. Around 25% of children younger than 5 years with ARI symptoms did not receive medical care. The odds of receiving care increased in mothers from rich households. The odds reduced in children aged 2 or more years; children of mothers not assisted by trained delivery attendants; mothers attending none or <4 antenatal visits; mothers delivering at home, and mothers reporting that permission to visit health services was a problem. Efforts to improve care-seeking behavior are required. Health promotion strategies and interventions to improve access to reach community not regularly exposed to health services are important.

Assessing barriers to quality trauma care in low and middle-income countries: A Delphi study

BACKGROUND

Most deaths from injury occur in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) with one third potentially avoidable with better health system access. This study aimed to establish consensus on the most important barriers, within a Three Delays framework, to accessing injury care in LMICs that should be considered when evaluating a health system.

METHODS

A three round electronic Delphi study was conducted with experts in LMIC health systems or injury care. In round one, participants proposed important barriers. These were synthesized into a three delays framework. In round 2 participants scored four components for each barrier. Components measured whether barriers were feasible to assess, likely to delay care for a significant proportion of injured persons, likely to cause avoidable death or disability, and potentially readily changed to improve care. In round 3 participants re-scored each barrier following review of feedback from round 2. Consensus was defined for each component as ≥70% agreement or disagreement.

RESULTS

There were 37 eligible responses in round 1, 30 in round 2, and 27 in round 3, with 21 countries represented in all rounds. Of the twenty conceptual barriers identified, consensus was reached on all four components for 11 barriers. This included 2 barriers to seeking care, 5 barriers to reaching care and 4 barriers to receiving care. The ability to modify a barrier most frequently failed to achieve consensus.

CONCLUSION

11 barriers were agreed to be feasible to assess, delay care for many, cause avoidable death or disability, and be readily modifiable. We recommend these barriers are considered in assessments of LMIC trauma systems.

Inappropriate treatment of community-acquired pneumonia among children under five years of age in Tanzania

Objective:

To describe the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children under five years in Tanzania.

Methods:

Between January and December 2017, children aged 2–59 months with chest radiography- confirmed CAP were enrolled. The parents were interviewed to collect information on the patients and home-based medication. Clinical information was derived from the patient files. Nasopharyngeal swab and blood samples were collected for isolation of the causative pathogens. Swab samples were analysed by quantitative PCR whereas blood samples were tested using BacT/Alert 3D.

Results:

Overall, 109 children with CAP were included in this analysis. Provision of care to most children was delayed (median = 4.6 days). A quarter (26.6%) were given unprescribed/leftover antibiotics at home. Only one child had positive bacterial culture. Referrals were associated with nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae (p = 0.003) and Haemophilus influenzae (p = 0.004). Of all admitted children, more than a quarter (n = 29) did not need to be hospitalised and inappropriately received injectable instead of oral antibiotics.

Conclusion:

We found high rates of home treatment, particularly with antibiotics. Appropriate health care was delayed for most children because of home treatment. Efforts are needed at the community level to improve awareness of antimicrobial resistance.

The prevalence and root causes of delay in seeking healthcare among mothers of under five children with pneumonia in hospitals of Bahir Dar city, North West Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Globally pneumonia is the leading cause of under-five child mortality. Several risk factors for pneumonia mortality have been identified, including delay in seeking health care. For successful reduction of delay in seeking healthcare, further evidence is crucial on its magnitude and factors associated with it in the country particularly in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and root causes of delay in seeking health care among mothers of under-five children with pneumonia in hospitals of the Bahir Dar city, 2019.

METHODS

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 15 to May 15, 2019 among 356 mothers of under-five children with pneumonia in hospitals of the Bahir Dar city. The study participants were selected by using a stratified sampling technique and data was collected through face to face interview. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the associated factors of delay in seeking healthcare. The P - value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Associations between outcome and exposure variables were expressed by the adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

A total of 356 mothers participated in the study yielded a response of 89.4%. The proportion of delay in seeking health care was 48.6%. Rural residence (AOR = 2. 3, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.9, seek healthcare in a governmental hospital (AOR = 3. 3, 95% CI: 1.8, 6.1), health care decision by mothers (AOR = 2. 9, 95% CI: 1.6, 5.4), poorest household (AOR = 2. 8, 95% CI: 1.1, 7.2), using self-medication (AOR = 7. 5, 95% CI: 3.8, 14.7), using traditional medicine before healthcare-seeking (AOR = 2. 7, 95% CI: 1.4, 5.1), and no information about early healthcare-seeking for childhood pneumonia treatment (AOR = 5. 1, 95% CI: 2.8, 9.1) were the identified determinants significantly associated with delay in seeking healthcare among mothers of under-five children with pneumonia.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that nearly half of the mothers delayed in seeking healthcare. Rural residence, healthcare seeking at government hospitals, healthcare decision by mothers, poorest household, using self-medication, using traditional medicine before health care seeking, and lack of information about early healthcare-seeking were factors associated with a delay in seeking healthcare for under-five children with pneumonia. Hence, the government and other concerned stakeholders should give due emphasis to tackle on the identified causes of delay in seeking health care for the under five children with pneumonia.

Assessing trauma care health systems in low- and middle-income countries, a protocol for a systematic literature review and narrative synthesis

BACKGROUND

Trauma represents a major global health problem projected to increase in importance over the next decade. The majority of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where survival rates are lower than their high-income country (HIC) counterparts. Health system level changes in care for injured patients have been attributed to significant improvements in care quality and outcomes in HIC settings. There is a need for further research to assess trauma care health systems in LMICs to inform health system strengthening for the care of the injured. This study aims to conduct a narrative synthesis of a systematic search of the literature on the assessment of trauma care health systems in LMICs in order to inform the further development of trauma care health system assessment.

METHODS

The review will include primary quantitative, qualitative or mixed method studies and secondary literature reviews. No restriction will be placed on language or date. Reports and publications identified from the grey literature including from relevant national and international health organisations will be included. Articles will be screened by two independent reviewers with a third reviewer resolving any persisting disagreement. The search will reveal heterogenous studies not suitable for meta-analysis. A narrative synthesis of the identified papers will be conducted to identify key methodological ideas and paradigms used to assess trauma care health systems. The analysis will consider how the differing methodological approaches could be adopted to understand barriers and delays to seeking, reaching and receiving care within a "Three Delays" framework. An iterative approach will be adopted to categorise identified articles, with the results presented as both within and across study analysis.

DISCUSSION

The results of the review will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal. The study forms part of a PhD project. The results will inform the development of a trauma care health system assessment applicable to LMICs. As this is a review of secondary data, no formal ethical approval is required.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42018112990.

Where do mothers take their children for pneumonia care? Findings from three Indian states

Childhood pneumonia accounts for 17% of IMR in India, posing a major health burden. With cultural beliefs influencing care seeking behaviour and disparities existing in health infrastructure across the country, an understanding of the underlying issues merits exploration. Study assessed prevalence of probable pneumonia and examined care seeking behaviour of mothers in three states, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Tamil Nadu (TN). This mixed methods study involved a household survey and qualitative interviews with mothers in three districts from each state. Households with children aged 2-59 months were screened to identify those with probable pneumonia; sub-sample of mothers participated in qualitative interviews. Care seeking behaviour was explored in the context of recognition of symptoms, nature of first care provided, time when care was sought outside the home and choice of health provider. Overall 17,442 children from 13,544 households were screened, of which 729 (MP), 752 (UP) and 713 (TN) children respectively, were identified with probable pneumonia; 72 mothers participated in the qualitative interviews. Three months period prevalence was estimated in study districts at 22.2%-MP 13.3%-UP and 8.4%-TN. Most mothers in MP and UP were not perceptive to severity of illness; type of care sought was often inappropriate, delayed, with home remedies and visits to unqualified care providers being their first response. In contrast, in TN, use of home remedies was minimal, going to untrained care providers, non-existent and more than 90% mothers sought appropriate care. Private doctors were the preferred choice among all mothers but utilization of government care was highest in TN (20%). Community health workers were underutilized, with less than 10% mothers consulting them. Need for educating mothers about appropriate care seeking and development of good health infrastructure as essential to attainment of better child health indices are advocated.

Health and Demographic Characteristics of Patients Attending a Newly-Opened Medical Facility in a Remote Amazonian Community: A Descriptive Study

Peru is a country with wide regional disparities in health. Remote Amazonian communities have high rates of poverty and poor access to health services. There is a lack of data on morbidity and use of health services in the region. We describe a descriptive, cross-sectional study of the demographic characteristics and presenting complaints of attendees to a newly-opened primary care facility in a remote community. This was supplemented by structured interviews of adult attendees to build a picture of sociocultural determinants of health locally, including engagement with traditional forms of medicine. Our study provides novel insights into an under-studied and under-resourced area. We found a young population with a high prevalence of infectious illnesses, particularly dermatological infections - a previously under-recognised source of morbidity in these communities. Poor literacy rates and widespread use of traditional forms of medicine have important implications for the provision of healthcare in this region.