Continuing education on child development for primary healthcare professionals: a prospective before-and-after study

Effectiveness of training on primary care nurses' knowledge and screening practice in identification of children at risk for developmental delay: An Indian perspective

Background

In India, overall, 1.5-19.8% of the children were found to be developmentally delayed. The evaluation of development in young children and health professionals' early referrals for diagnostic assessment will accelerate appropriate early intervention as early as possible. Nurses can screen the children and help the parents by providing the necessary information and support.

Aim

To train the primary care nurses on developmental screening and early identification of developmental delay (DD) in children and find the effectiveness of the same.

Objectives of the study

To evaluate the effectiveness of the training program on the knowledge and screening practice of the nurses towards the identification of children at risk for DD and to find out the relationship between nurses' knowledge and screening practice.

Methods and Materials

A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest, post-test design was adopted among 69 nurses, who were providing child care services and working in the selected government hospitals in Bengaluru, South India. Nurses' knowledge and screening practice in identifying children at risk for DD were assessed before and after the training. SPSS package 21.00 version was used to analyse the descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

The training program was effective in the enhancement of primary care nurses' knowledge and screening practice in the identification of DDs in under-five children.

Conclusion

The findings of this study concluded that developmental screening can be performed by nurses with suitable training programs. The training program played a significant role in the enhancement of nurses' knowledge and screening practice in the identification of DDs in under-five children.

Outcomes of an intervention program for family physicians on well-child care for children under 5 years in Suez Canal region, Egypt

Background

Family physicians play a critical role in providing well-child care (WCC) in Egypt to children under five. Family physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on WCC must be appropriately developed to optimize health status and developmental potential in children. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of an innovative, 6-month educational training program on the KAP of family physicians toward WCC. This pre-post interventional study was conducted from September 2014 to March 2016 on a convenience (Suez Canal University) sampling of 39 family physicians who were under training in the Family Medicine Department at the Faculty of Medicine Suez Canal University. After 6 months of implementing the training program, KAP toward WCC was assessed by a 79-item questionnaire at baseline.

Results

The overall mean percentage of participants’ KAP scores was statistically and significantly increased from 23.68% ± 13.68%, 67.15% ± 6.75%, and 40.98% ± 12.24% to 88.46% ± 8.09%, 88.62% ± 5.17%, and 71.79% ± 14.63%, respectively (p < 0.001). Recognizing the appropriate anticipatory guidance for the use of car seats made up the epitome of what was lacking in posttest knowledge (53.8%). Tendency of performing red reflex testing especially reduced refinement in posttest attitudes (53.8%). The least improved post-intervention practices were anticipatory guidance (7.7%), examination for developmental hip dysplasia (28.2%), and caries (43.6%), eliciting parents’ concerns for hearing and speech (38.5%) and vision screening (38.5%).

Conclusions

The educational program had positive effects on family physicians’ KAP toward well-child care for children under five. Further interventions are needed for improving the family physicians’ practices of sensory screening, assessment of hip dysplasia, oral health, and anticipatory guidance.

Vigilância do desenvolvimento da linguagem da criança: conhecimentos e práticas de profissionais da atenção básica à saúde

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar os conhecimentos e as práticas dos enfermeiros, médicos e cirurgiões-dentistas que atuam na Atenção Básica em relação ao desenvolvimento da linguagem da criança nos primeiros anos de vida. Métodos: tratou-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa com 30 profissionais de uma rede de Atenção Básica dentre eles, médicos, enfermeiros e cirurgiões-dentistas. Uma consulta individual foi realizada mediante um questionário semiestruturado. Empregou-se a técnica de análise temática de discurso, utilizando-se três figuras metodológicas: a Ideia Central, as Expressões-Chaves e o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo. Resultados: os conhecimentos que os profissionais têm sobre o desenvolvimento da linguagem da criança estavam ancorados às ideias centrais de conhecer alguns marcos do desenvolvimento, a linguagem da criança depende do estímulo do meio, da família e da audição normal, saber muito pouco ou não saber nada sobre o assunto. Os profissionais relataram que gostariam de obter mais informações sobre o assunto em relação aos marcos do desenvolvimento da linguagem da criança, desvios da normalidade e orientações para pais de forma a aprimorar o atendimento da saúde infantil. Conclusão: o conhecimento dos profissionais sobre o assunto apresentou-se limitado, havendo necessidade de ampliar práticas de educação em saúde pela Fonoaudiologia, em parceria com as Instituições de Ensino e os profissionais dos Núcleos de Apoio Saúde da Família, junto aos profissionais da Equipe de Estratégia Saúde da Família, destacando-se o trabalho sobre os marcos do desenvolvimento da linguagem da criança.