1
|
Jockers D, Ngafuan R, Baernighausen T, Kessley A, White EE, Kenny A, Kraemer J, Geedeh J, Rozelle J, Holmes L, Obaje H, Wheh S, Pedersen J, Siedner MJ, Mendin S, Subah M, Hirschhorn LR. Under-five mortality before and after implementation of the Liberia National Community Health Assistant (NCHA) program: A study protocol. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0272172. [PMID: 38427671 PMCID: PMC10906894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Between 2018 and 2022 the Liberian Government implemented the National Community Health Assistant (NCHA) program to improve provision of maternal and child health care to underserved rural areas of the country. Whereas the contributions of this and similar community health worker (CHW) based healthcare programs have been associated with improved process measures, the impact of a governmental CHW program at scale on child mortality has not been fully established. We will conduct a cluster sampled, community-based survey with landmark event calendars to retrospectively assess child births and deaths among all children born to women in the Grand Bassa District of Liberia. We will use a mixed effects Cox proportional hazards model, taking advantage of the staggered program implementation in Grand Bassa districts over a period of 4 years to compare rates of under-5 child mortality between the pre- and post-NCHA program implementation periods. This study will be the first to estimate the impact of the Liberian NCHA program on under-5 mortality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Jockers
- Institute of Global Health, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Till Baernighausen
- Institute of Global Health, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Emily E. White
- Last Mile Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Avi Kenny
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - John Kraemer
- Department of Health Management and Policy, Georgetown University School of Health, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - John Geedeh
- Grand Bassa County Health Team, Buchanan, Liberia
| | - Jeffrey Rozelle
- Last Mile Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Leah Holmes
- Last Mile Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Mark J. Siedner
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Last Mile Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | - Lisa R. Hirschhorn
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Blizzard S, Dennis M, Subah M, Tehoungue BZ, Zizi R, Kraemer JD, White E, Hirschhorn LR. A repeated cross-sectional study of the association of community health worker intervention with the maternal continuum of care in rural Liberian communities. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:841. [PMID: 38062415 PMCID: PMC10701987 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-06162-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The maternal continuum of care (CoC) (antenatal care, facility-based delivery, postnatal care) is critical to maternal and neonatal health and reducing mortality, but completion in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries is often limited. We used repeated cross-sectional household surveys from a rural Liberian county to explore changes in rates of completion of all steps and no steps in the maternal CoC after implementation of the National Community Health Assistant Program (NCHAP), a community health worker (CHW) intervention designed to increase care uptake for families over five kilometers from a facility. METHODS We analyzed repeated cross-sectional household surveys of women aged 18-49 served by NCHAP in Rivercess County, Liberia. We measured survey-weighted, before-to-after implementation difference in completion of all steps and no steps in the maternal CoC. We used multivariable regression to explore covariates associated with completion rates before and after NCHAP implementation. RESULTS Data from surveys conducted at three timepoints (2015, n = 354; 2018, n = 312; 2021, n = 302) were analyzed. A significant increase in completing the full maternal CoC (2015:23.6%, 2018:53.4%, change:29.7% points (pp), 95% confidence interval (CI) [21.0,38.4]) and a decrease in completing no steps in the CoC (2015:17.6%, 2018:4.0%, change: -12.4pp [-17.6, -7.2]) after implementation of NCHAP were observed from 2015 to 2018, with rates maintained from 2018 to 2021. Living farther from a facility was consistently associated with less care across the continuum. Following implementation, living in a motorbike accessible community was associated with completing the CoC while living in a mining community was negatively associated with omitting the CoC. Household wealth was associated with differences in rates pre-NCHAP but not post-NCHAP. CONCLUSIONS Following NCHAP implementation, completion rate of the full maternal CoC in Rivercess County more than doubled while the rate of completing no steps in the continuum fell below 5%. These rates were sustained over time including during COVID-19 with reduced differences across wealth groups, although far distances remained a risk for less care. CHW programs providing active outreach to remote communities can be important tools for improving uptake of interventions and reducing risk of no formal care during and after pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Blizzard
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | - John D Kraemer
- Department of Health Management and Policy, Georgetown University School of Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Lisa R Hirschhorn
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Ryan Family Center for Global Primary Care, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Arasu S, Shanbhag DN. Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker-Driven Intervention in Improving the Quality of Life of Caregivers of Children With Disability in Rural Karnataka, India. Cureus 2023; 15:e41798. [PMID: 37575798 PMCID: PMC10423073 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.41798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To assess the effectiveness of a community-health-worker (CHW)-driven intervention in improving the quality of life (QOL) of caregivers of children with disability in rural Karnataka, India. Methodology A community-based quasi-experimental study with cluster randomization on the village level was done. CHWs provided structured health education and training for the intervention arm. Pre- and post-intervention, the QOL and Zarit burden scores were compared between and within the two arms. Results From baseline, the physical domain score improved from 49.66 to 53.88 (p < 0.001). The Zarit burden scores decreased from 33.27 to 28.89 (p < 0.001). On comparing the post-test QOL scores between the two arms, the physical domain scores increased from 51.68 to 56.08 (p = 0.025). The Zarit burden scores also significantly decreased from 31.50 to 26.28. Conclusion The intervention by the CHWs on the caregivers has significant improvements in the physical domain of QOL and a reduction in caregiver burden.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sakthi Arasu
- Occupational Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, IND
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ahinkorah BO, Aboagye RG, Seidu AA, Frimpong JB, Cadri A, Afaya A, Hagan JE, Yaya S. Prevalence and predictors of oral rehydration therapy, zinc, and other treatments for diarrhoea among children under-five in sub-Saharan Africa. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275495. [PMID: 36227873 PMCID: PMC9560133 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the evidence-based effectiveness of diarrhoea treatment in preventing diarrhoea-related child mortality, the accessibility and utilization of diarrhoea treatments remain low in sub-Saharan Africa, even though these treatments are available. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of diarrhoea treatment among under-five children in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods This study involved cross-sectional analyses of secondary data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys of 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Percentages with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to summarise the prevalence of diarrhoea treatment. A multivariable multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the predictors of diarrhoea treatment among children under five years in sub-Saharan Africa. The regression results were presented using adjusted odds ratio with their accompanying 95% confidence intervals. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Stata software version 16.0 was used for the analyses. Results The overall prevalence of diarrhoea treatment among under-five children in sub-Saharan Africa was 49.07% (95% CI = 44.50–53.64). The prevalence of diarrhoea treatment ranged from 23.93% (95% CI = 20.92–26.94) in Zimbabwe to 66.32% (95% CI = 61.67–70.97) in Liberia. Children aged 1 to 4 years, those whose mothers had at least primary education, those whose mothers had postnatal care visits, those whose mothers believed that permission to go and get medical help for self was a big problem, and those whose mothers’ partners had at least primary education were more likely to undergo diarrhoea treatment as compared to their counterparts. The odds of diarrhoea treatment increased with increasing wealth index with the highest odds among those in the richest quintile. Also, the odds of diarrhoea treatment was higher in the Central, Eastern, and Western geographical subregions compared to those in the Southern geographical subregion. However, children whose mothers were cohabiting, those whose mothers were exposed to watching television, and those living in female-headed households were less likely to undergo diarrhoea treatment. Conclusion The study found that the prevalence of diarrhoea treatment among children in sub-Saharan Africa was relatively low and varied across countries. The sub-regional estimates of diarrhoea treatment and identified associated factors can support country-specific needs assessments targeted at improving policy makers’ understanding of within-country disparities in diarrhoea treatment. Planned interventions (e.g., provision of quality and affordable supply of oral rehydration salts and zinc) should seek to scale up diarrhoea treatment uptake among under-five children in sub-Saharan Africa with much focus on the factors identified in this study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- REMS Consult Limited, Sekondi Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Richard Gyan Aboagye
- Department of Family and Community Health, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- REMS Consult Limited, Sekondi Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- Centre for Gender and Advocacy, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana
| | - James Boadu Frimpong
- Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Abdul Cadri
- Department of Social and Behavioural Science, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon- Accra, Ghana
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Agani Afaya
- Mo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute, Yonsei University, College of Nursing, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - John Elvis Hagan
- Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kenny A, Voldal E, Xia F, Heagerty PJ, Hughes JP. Analysis of stepped wedge cluster randomized trials in the presence of a time-varying treatment effect. Stat Med 2022; 41:4311-4339. [PMID: 35774016 PMCID: PMC9481733 DOI: 10.1002/sim.9511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trials are typically analyzed using models that assume the full effect of the treatment is achieved instantaneously. We provide an analytical framework for scenarios in which the treatment effect varies as a function of exposure time (time since the start of treatment) and define the "effect curve" as the magnitude of the treatment effect on the linear predictor scale as a function of exposure time. The "time-averaged treatment effect" (TATE) and "long-term treatment effect" (LTE) are summaries of this curve. We analytically derive the expectation of the estimatorδ ^ $$ \hat{\delta} $$ resulting from a model that assumes an immediate treatment effect and show that it can be expressed as a weighted sum of the time-specific treatment effects corresponding to the observed exposure times. Surprisingly, although the weights sum to one, some of the weights can be negative. This implies thatδ ^ $$ \hat{\delta} $$ may be severely misleading and can even converge to a value of the opposite sign of the true TATE or LTE. We describe several models, some of which make assumptions about the shape of the effect curve, that can be used to simultaneously estimate the entire effect curve, the TATE, and the LTE. We evaluate these models in a simulation study to examine the operating characteristics of the resulting estimators and apply them to two real datasets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avi Kenny
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Emily Voldal
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Fan Xia
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - James P. Hughes
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Werner K, Kak M, Herbst CH, Lin TK. The role of community health worker-based care in post-conflict settings: a systematic review. Health Policy Plan 2022; 38:261-274. [PMID: 36124928 PMCID: PMC9923383 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czac072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Countries affected by conflict often experience the deterioration of health system infrastructure and weaken service delivery. Evidence suggests that healthcare services that leverage local community dynamics may ameliorate health system-related challenges; however, little is known about implementing these interventions in contexts where formal delivery of care is hampered subsequent to conflict. We reviewed the evidence on community health worker (CHW)-delivered healthcare in conflict-affected settings and synthesized reported information on the effectiveness of interventions and characteristics of care delivery. We conducted a systematic review of studies in OVID MedLine, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINHAL) and Google Scholar databases. Included studies (1) described a context that is post-conflict, conflict-affected or impacted by war or crisis; (2) examined the delivery of healthcare by CHWs in the community; (3) reported a specific outcome connected to CHWs or community-based healthcare; (4) were available in English, Spanish or French and (5) were published between 1 January 2000 and 6 May 2021. We identified 1976 articles, of which 55 met the inclusion criteria. Nineteen countries were represented, and five categories of disease were assessed. Evidence suggests that CHW interventions not only may be effective but also efficient in circumventing the barriers associated with access to care in conflict-affected areas. CHWs may leverage their physical proximity and social connection to the community they serve to improve care by facilitating access to care, strengthening disease detection and improving adherence to care. Specifically, case management (e.g. integrated community case management) was documented to be effective in improving a wide range of health outcomes and should be considered as a strategy to reduce barrier to access in hard-to-reach areas. Furthermore, task-sharing strategies have been emphasized as a common mechanism for incorporating CHWs into health systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kalin Werner
- *Corresponding author. Institute for Health and Aging, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, 490 Illinois Street, 12th Floor, Box 0646, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. E-mail:
| | - Mohini Kak
- Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20433, USA
| | - Christopher H Herbst
- Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20433, USA
| | - Tracy Kuo Lin
- Institute for Health and Aging, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, 490 Illinois Street, 12th Floor, Box 0646, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
White E, Mendin S, Kolubah FR, Karlay R, Grant B, Jacobs GP, Subah M, Siedner MJ, Kraemer JD, Hirschhorn LR. Impact of the Liberian National Community Health Assistant Program on childhood illness care in Grand Bassa County, Liberia. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 2:e0000668. [PMID: 36962465 PMCID: PMC10021826 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Liberia launched its National Community Health Assistant Program in 2016, which seeks to ensure that all people living 5 kilometers or farther from a health facility have access to trained, supplied, supervised, and paid community health workers (CHWs). This study aims to evaluate the impact of the national program following implementation in Grand Bassa County in 2018 using data from population-based surveys that included information on 1291 illness episodes. We measured before-to-after changes in care for childhood illness by qualified providers in a portion of the county that implemented in a first phase compared to those which had not yet implemented. We also assessed changes in whether children received oral rehydration therapy for diarrhea and malaria rapid diagnostic tests if they had a fever by a qualified provider (facility based or CHW). For these analyses, we used a difference-in-differences approach and adjusted for potential confounding using inverse probability of treatment weighting. We also assessed changes in the source from which care was received and examined changes by key dimensions of equity (distance from health facilities, maternal education, and household wealth). We found that care of childhood illness by a qualified provider increased by 60.3 percentage points (95%CI 44.7-76.0) more in intervention than comparison areas. Difference-in-differences for oral rehydration therapy and malaria rapid diagnostic tests were 37.6 (95%CI 19.5-55.8) and 38.5 (95%CI 19.9-57.0) percentage points, respectively. In intervention areas, care by a CHW increased from 0 to 81.6% and care from unqualified providers dropped. Increases in care by a qualified provider did not vary significantly by household wealth, remoteness, or maternal education. This evaluation found evidence that the Liberian National Community Health Assistant Program has increased access to effective care in rural Grand Bassa County. Improvements were approximately equal across three measured dimensions of marginalization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily White
- Last Mile Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mark J Siedner
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - John D Kraemer
- Department of Health Systems Administration, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Lisa R Hirschhorn
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hirschhorn LR, Magge H, Kiflie A. Aiming beyond equality to reach equity: the promise and challenge of quality improvement. BMJ 2021; 374:n939. [PMID: 34285002 PMCID: PMC8290315 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Quality improvement must move beyond only measuring average quality and change and focus on equity to support achieving the quality needed for effective universal health coverage, argue Lisa Hirschhorn and colleagues
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hema Magge
- Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abiyou Kiflie
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Treleaven E, Whidden C, Cole F, Kayentao K, Traoré MB, Diakité D, Sidibé S, Lin TK, Boettiger D, Cissouma S, Sanogo V, Padian N, Johnson A, Liu J. Relationship between symptoms, barriers to care and healthcare utilisation among children under five in rural Mali. Trop Med Int Health 2021; 26:943-952. [PMID: 33866656 PMCID: PMC9291065 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Objectives To identify social and structural barriers to timely utilisation of qualified providers among children under five years in a high‐mortality setting, rural Mali and to analyse how utilisation varies by symptom manifestation. Methods Using baseline household survey data from a cluster‐randomised trial, we assessed symptom patterns and healthcare trajectories of 5117 children whose mothers reported fever, diarrhoea, bloody stools, cough and/or fast breathing in the preceding two weeks. We examine associations between socio‐demographic factors, symptoms and utilisation outcomes in mixed‐effect logistic regressions. Results Almost half of recently ill children reported multiple symptoms (46.2%). Over half (55.9%) received any treatment, while less than one‐quarter (21.7%) received care from a doctor, nurse, midwife, trained community health worker or pharmacist within 24 h of symptom onset. Distance to primary health facility, household wealth and maternal education were consistently associated with better utilisation outcomes. While children with potentially more severe symptoms such as fever and cough with fast breathing or diarrhoea with bloody stools were more likely to receive any care, they were no more likely than children with fever to receive timely care with a qualified provider. Conclusions Even distances as short as 2–5 km significantly reduced children’s likelihood of utilising healthcare relative to those within 2 km of a facility. While children with symptoms indicative of pneumonia and malaria were more likely to receive any care, suggesting mothers and caregivers recognised potentially severe illness, multiple barriers to care contributed to delays and low utilisation of qualified providers, illustrating the need for improved consideration of barriers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Treleaven
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Caroline Whidden
- Muso, Bamako, Mali.,Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Faith Cole
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kassoum Kayentao
- Muso, Bamako, Mali.,Malaria Research & Training Centre, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | | | | | | | - Tracy Kuo Lin
- Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David Boettiger
- Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Vincent Sanogo
- Division of Prevention and Case Management, National Malaria Control Programme, Bamako, Mali
| | - Nancy Padian
- Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ari Johnson
- Muso, Bamako, Mali.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jenny Liu
- Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Downey J, McKenna AH, Mendin SF, Waters A, Dunbar N, Tehmeh LG, White EE, Siedner MJ, Panjabi R, Kraemer JD, Kenny A, Ly EJ, Bass J, Huang KN, Khan MS, Uchtmann N, Agarwal A, Hirschhorn LR. Measuring Knowledge of Community Health Workers at the Last Mile in Liberia: Feasibility and Results of Clinical Vignette Assessments. GLOBAL HEALTH: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021; 9:S111-S121. [PMID: 33727324 PMCID: PMC7971375 DOI: 10.9745/ghsp-d-20-00380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We integrated clinical vignettes into routine programmatic supervision to assess community health worker knowledge of integrated community case management in rural Liberia. Results included higher rates of correct diagnosis and lifesaving treatment for uncomplicated disease than for more severe cases, with accurate recognition of danger signs posing a challenge. Introduction: Community health workers (CHWs) can provide lifesaving treatment for children in remote areas, but high-quality care is essential for effective delivery. Measuring the quality of community-based care in remote areas is logistically challenging. Clinical vignettes have been validated in facility settings as a proxy for competency. We assessed feasibility and effectiveness of clinical vignettes to measure CHW knowledge of integrated community case management (iCCM) in Liberia's national CHW program. Methods: We developed 3 vignettes to measure knowledge of iCCM illnesses (malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia) in 4 main areas: assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and caregiver instructions. Trained nurse supervisors administered the vignettes to CHWs in 3 counties in rural Liberia as part of routine program supervision between January and May 2019, collected data on CHW knowledge using a standardized checklist tool, and provided feedback and coaching to CHWs in real time after vignette administration. Proportions of vignettes correctly managed, including illness classification, treatment, and referral where necessary, were calculated. We assessed feasibility, defined as the ability of clinical supervisors to administer the vignettes integrated into their routine activities once per year for each CHW, and effectiveness, defined as the ability of the vignettes to measure the primary outcomes of CHW knowledge of diagnosis and treatment including referrals. Results: We were able to integrate this assessment into routine supervision, facilitate real-time coaching, and collect data on iCCM knowledge among 155 CHWs through delivery of 465 vignettes. Diagnosis including severity was correct in 65%–82% of vignettes. CHWs correctly identified danger signs in 44%–50% of vignettes, correctly proposed referral to the facility in 63% of vignettes including danger signs, and chose correct lifesaving treatment in 23%–65% of vignettes. Both diagnosis and lifesaving treatment rates were highest for malaria and lowest for severe pneumonia. Conclusion: Administration of vignettes to assess knowledge of correct iCCM case management was feasible and effective in producing results in this setting. Proportions of correct diagnosis and lifesaving treatment varied, with high proportions for uncomplicated disease, but lower for more severe cases, with accurate recognition of danger signs posing a challenge. Future work includes validation of vignettes for use with CHWs through direct observation, strengthening supportive supervision, and program interventions to address identified knowledge gaps.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ami Waters
- Last Mile Health, Boston, MA, USA.,University of Texas Southwestern, Division of Combined Medicine and Pediatrics, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Nelson Dunbar
- Liberia Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, Monrovia, Liberia
| | | | | | - Mark J Siedner
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Raj Panjabi
- Last Mile Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John D Kraemer
- Georgetown University, Department of Health Systems Administration, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Avi Kenny
- Last Mile Health, Boston, MA, USA.,University of Washington, Department of Biostatistics, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Kuang-Ning Huang
- Last Mile Health, Boston, MA, USA.,University of Washington, Department of Family Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Lisa R Hirschhorn
- Last Mile Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Getachew T, Abebe SM, Yitayal M, Persson LÅ, Berhanu D. Association between a complex community intervention and quality of health extension workers' performance to correctly classify common childhood illnesses in four regions of Ethiopia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247474. [PMID: 33711024 PMCID: PMC7954333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Due to low care utilization, a complex intervention was done for two years to optimize the Ethiopian Health Extension Program. Improved quality of the integrated community case management services was an intermediate outcome of this intervention through community education and mobilization, capacity building of health workers, and strengthening of district ownership and accountability of sick child services. We evaluated the association between the intervention and the health extension workers’ ability to correctly classify common childhood illnesses in four regions of Ethiopia. Methods Baseline and endline assessments were done in 2016 and 2018 in intervention and comparison areas in four regions of Ethiopia. Ill children aged 2 to 59 months were mobilized to visit health posts for an assessment that was followed by re-examination. We analyzed sensitivity, specificity, and difference-in-difference of correct classification with multilevel mixed logistic regression in intervention and comparison areas at baseline and endline. Results Health extensions workers’ consultations with ill children were observed in intervention (n = 710) and comparison areas (n = 615). At baseline, re-examination of the children showed that in intervention areas, health extension workers’ sensitivity for fever or malaria was 54%, 68% for respiratory infections, 90% for diarrheal diseases, and 34% for malnutrition. At endline, it was 40% for fever or malaria, 49% for respiratory infections, 85% for diarrheal diseases, and 48% for malnutrition. Specificity was higher (89–100%) for all childhood illnesses. Difference-in-differences was 6% for correct classification of fever or malaria [aOR = 1.45 95% CI: 0.81–2.60], 4% for respiratory tract infection [aOR = 1.49 95% CI: 0.81–2.74], and 5% for diarrheal diseases [aOR = 1.74 95% CI: 0.77–3.92]. Conclusion This study revealed that the Optimization of Health Extension Program intervention, which included training, supportive supervision, and performance reviews of health extension workers, was not associated with an improved classification of childhood illnesses by these Ethiopian primary health care workers. Trial registration ISRCTN12040912, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12040912.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theodros Getachew
- Health System and Reproductive Health Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
- * E-mail:
| | - Solomon Mekonnen Abebe
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Mezgebu Yitayal
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Lars Åke Persson
- Health System and Reproductive Health Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Della Berhanu
- Health System and Reproductive Health Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Oliphant NP, Manda S, Daniels K, Odendaal WA, Besada D, Kinney M, White Johansson E, Doherty T. Integrated community case management of childhood illness in low- and middle-income countries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021; 2:CD012882. [PMID: 33565123 PMCID: PMC8094443 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd012882.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The leading causes of mortality globally in children younger than five years of age (under-fives), and particularly in the regions of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Southern Asia, in 2018 were infectious diseases, including pneumonia (15%), diarrhoea (8%), malaria (5%) and newborn sepsis (7%) (UNICEF 2019). Nutrition-related factors contributed to 45% of under-five deaths (UNICEF 2019). World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with other development partners, have developed an approach - now known as integrated community case management (iCCM) - to bring treatment services for children 'closer to home'. The iCCM approach provides integrated case management services for two or more illnesses - including diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria, severe acute malnutrition or neonatal sepsis - among under-fives at community level (i.e. outside of healthcare facilities) by lay health workers where there is limited access to health facility-based case management services (WHO/UNICEF 2012). OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of the integrated community case management (iCCM) strategy on coverage of appropriate treatment for childhood illness by an appropriate provider, quality of care, case load or severity of illness at health facilities, mortality, adverse events and coverage of careseeking for children younger than five years of age in low- and middle-income countries. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL on 7 November 2019, Virtual Health Library on 8 November 2019, and Popline on 5 December 2018, three other databases on 22 March 2019 and two trial registers on 8 November 2019. We performed reference checking, and citation searching, and contacted study authors to identify additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-RCTs, controlled before-after studies (CBAs), interrupted time series (ITS) studies and repeated measures studies comparing generic WHO/UNICEF iCCM (or local adaptation thereof) for at least two iCCM diseases with usual facility services (facility treatment services) with or without single disease community case management (CCM). We included studies reporting on coverage of appropriate treatment for childhood illness by an appropriate provider, quality of care, case load or severity of illness at health facilities, mortality, adverse events and coverage of careseeking for under-fives in low- and middle-income countries. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS At least two review authors independently screened abstracts, screened full texts and extracted data using a standardised data collection form adapted from the EPOC Good Practice Data Collection Form. We resolved any disagreements through discussion or, if required, we consulted a third review author not involved in the original screening. We contacted study authors for clarification or additional details when necessary. We reported risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous outcomes and hazard ratios (HR) for time to event outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for clustering, where possible. We used estimates of effect from the primary analysis reported by the investigators, where possible. We analysed the effects of randomized trials and other study types separately. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence. MAIN RESULTS We included seven studies, of which three were cluster RCTs and four were CBAs. Six of the seven studies were in SSA and one study was in Southern Asia. The iCCM components and inputs were fairly consistent across the seven studies with notable variation for the training and deployment component (e.g. on payment of iCCM providers) and the system component (e.g. on improving information systems). When compared to usual facility services, we are uncertain of the effect of iCCM on coverage of appropriate treatment from an appropriate provider for any iCCM illness (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.19; 2 CBA studies, 5898 children; very low-certainty evidence). iCCM may have little to no effect on neonatal mortality (HR 1.01, 95% 0.73 to 1.28; 2 trials, 65,209 children; low-certainty evidence). We are uncertain of the effect of iCCM on infant mortality (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.26; 2 trials, 60,480 children; very low-certainty evidence) and under-five mortality (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.37; 1 trial, 4729 children; very low-certainty evidence). iCCM probably increases coverage of careseeking to an appropriate provider for any iCCM illness by 68% (RR 1.68, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.27; 2 trials, 9853 children; moderate-certainty evidence). None of the studies reported quality of care, severity of illness or adverse events for this comparison. When compared to usual facility services plus CCM for malaria, we are uncertain of the effect of iCCM on coverage of appropriate treatment from an appropriate provider for any iCCM illness (very low-certainty evidence) and iCCM may have little or no effect on careseeking to an appropriate provider for any iCCM illness (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.17; 1 trial, 811 children; low-certainty evidence). None of the studies reported quality of care, case load or severity of illness at health facilities, mortality or adverse events for this comparison. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS iCCM probably increases coverage of careseeking to an appropriate provider for any iCCM illness. However, the evidence presented here underscores the importance of moving beyond training and deployment to valuing iCCM providers, strengthening health systems and engaging community systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Oliphant
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Belleville, South Africa
| | - Samuel Manda
- Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Hatfield, South Africa
- Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Karen Daniels
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Willem A Odendaal
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Donela Besada
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Mary Kinney
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emily White Johansson
- International Maternal and Child Health, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tanya Doherty
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Belleville, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
Systems are investing in workers who come from the communities they serve to meet patient needs that extend well beyond clinic walls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rob Waters
- This article is part of a series on transforming health systems published with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Rob Waters is an independent writer in Oakland, California, who writes about health and science and has contributed to Kaiser Health News, STAT, Mother Jones, and Psychotherapy Networker, among other publications
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Nyblade L, Addo NA, Atuahene K, Alsoufi N, Gyamera E, Jacinthe S, Leonard M, Mingkwan P, Stewart C, Vormawor R, Kraemer JD. Results from a difference-in-differences evaluation of health facility HIV and key population stigma-reduction interventions in Ghana. J Int AIDS Soc 2020; 23:e25483. [PMID: 32329153 PMCID: PMC7180216 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Stigma undermines all aspects of a comprehensive HIV response, as reflected in recent global initiatives for stigma-reduction. Yet a commensurate response to systematically tackle stigma within country responses has not yet occurred, which may be due to the lack of sufficient evidence documenting evaluated stigma-reduction interventions. With stigma present in all life spheres, health facilities offer a logical starting point for developing and expanding stigma reduction interventions. This study evaluates the impact of a "total facility" stigma-reduction intervention on the drivers and manifestations of stigma and discrimination among health facility staff in Ghana. METHODS We evaluated the impact of a total facility stigma-reduction intervention by comparing five intervention to five comparable non-intervention health facilities in Ghana. Interventions began in September 2017. Data collection was in June 2017 and April 2018. The primary outcomes were composite indicators for three stigma drivers, self-reported stigmatizing avoidance behaviour, and observed discrimination. The principal intervention variable was whether the respondent worked at an intervention or comparison facility. We estimated intervention effects as differences-in-differences in each outcome, further adjusted using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). RESULTS We observed favourable intervention effects for all outcome domains except for stigmatizing attitudes. Preferring not to provide services to people living with HIV (PLHIV) or a key population member improved 11.1% more in intervention than comparison facility respondents (95% CI 3.2 to 19.0). Other significant improvements included knowledge of policies to protect against discrimination (difference-in-differences = 20.4%; 95% CI 12.7 to 28.0); belief that discrimination would be punished (11.2%; 95% CI 0.2 to 22.3); and knowledge of and belief in the adequacy of infection control policies (17.6%; 95% CI 8.3 to 26.9). Reported observation of stigma and discrimination incidents fell by 7.4 percentage points more among intervention than comparison facility respondents, though only marginally significant in the IPTW-adjusted model (p = 0.06). Respondents at intervention facilities were 19.0% (95% CI 12.2 to 25.8) more likely to report that staff behaviour towards PLHIV had improved over the last year than those at comparison facilities. CONCLUSIONS These results provide a foundation for scaling up health facility stigma-reduction within national HIV responses, though they should be accompanied by rigorous implementation science to ensure ongoing learning and adaptation for maximum effectiveness and long-term impact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Nyblade
- Global Health DivisionResearch Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalWashingtonDCUSA
- Research Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalResearch Triangle ParkNCUSA
| | - Nii A Addo
- Educational Assessment Research Centre (EARC)AccraGhana
| | | | | | - Emma Gyamera
- Educational Assessment Research Centre (EARC)AccraGhana
| | | | - Madeline Leonard
- Global Health DivisionResearch Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of Health Systems AdministrationGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Pia Mingkwan
- Global Health DivisionResearch Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalWashingtonDCUSA
- Research Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalResearch Triangle ParkNCUSA
| | - Christin Stewart
- Global Health DivisionResearch Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalWashingtonDCUSA
- Research Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalResearch Triangle ParkNCUSA
| | | | - John D Kraemer
- Global Health DivisionResearch Triangle Institute (RTI) InternationalWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of Health Systems AdministrationGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| |
Collapse
|