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This article describes the scale-up of the Community Health Information System (CHIS), a family-centered health information system designed for the health extension worker to manage and monitor her work in educating households and delivering an integrated package of promotive, preventive, and basic curative health service to families. It also documents achievements and challenges, sharing lessons learned that can be useful in CHIS implementation in other regions. [adapted from summary]

This policy brief outlines current and needed medical internship programs in the Pacific and the policy implications. [adapted from author]

This brief discusses accreditation of health worker education programs, evidence on accreditation models, the importance of accreditation in the Pacific and the policy implications. [adapted from author]

This brief outlines the issues surrounding commissioning of health professionals education and training, the challenges and establishing systems to help Pacific Island Countries manage the existing and future health workforce effectively. [adapted from author]

This brief outlines the continuum of medical education and training for the Pacific health workforce and the policy implications of the situation. [adapted from author]

This paper reports the findings of a six country migration study to help fill information and knowledge gaps by visiting selected Pacific Island Countries and collecting available data on migrating and returning health workers. Information was also compiled on policy and procedures governing exit from public service, and the emigration and immigration of health personnel. [adapted from summary]

This paper explores the literature and issues associated with violence
in the health sector. It assesses the scope, definition and global context of workplace violence, information and reporting of violence, existing evidence of the prevalence of violence, the origins of violence, the impact of violence, and prevention and interventions to minimize workplace violence in the health sector. The final section highlights some of the gaps in research and practice. [adapted from introduction]

This paper reports the findings of a process evaluation of a controlled trial of PITC for people with sexually transmitted infections attending publicly funded clinics in a low-resource setting in South Africa, where the trial results were lower than anticipated compared to the standard voluntary counselling and testing approach. [from abstract]

The purpose of this study was to propose a physician supply forecasting methodology by applying system dynamics modeling to estimate future absolute and relative numbers of physicians. [from abstract]

This study used in-depth interviews to explore perceptions of medicine seller roles among a restricted random sample of 20 medicine sellers in North-West Cameroon. Interviews and analysis explored self-perception of their work/role, community perceptions, skills and knowledge, regulation, future plans, links with the formal health system and diversity among medicine sellers. [from abstract]

This study was carried out to assess the quality of care provided by Health Surveillance Assistants—a cadre of community-based health workers—as part of a national scale-up of community case management of childhood illness in Malawi. [from abstract]

This study aimed to identify determinants of caregivers’ use of village malaria workers services for childhood illness and caregivers’ knowledge of malaria management. [adapted from abstract]

The aim of this study was to assess health workers’ perceptions, practices use of malaria diagnostics, prescription behavior and factors affecting adherence to test results at primary health care facilities in Kibaha District, Coast Region, Tanzania. [adapted from abstract]

This report is an analysis of the effects of public health message volume/frequency to health workers during large scale emergencies on recall of specific message content and effect of rate of message communications on health care provider alert fatigue. [adapted from abstract]

This study was undertaken to explore the viability of supervising pharmacy students remotely – a model referred to in the literature as role-emergent placements as a possible model to fill the gap in on-site pharmacy preceptors at role-established sites. This paper discusses pharmacy preceptors and long-term care facility non-pharmacist staff experiences with this model. [adapted from abstract]

The aim of this study is to examine the preferences of general practitioners (GPs) for rural location using a discrete choice experiment to estimate the probabilities of moving to a rural area, and the size of financial incentives GPs would require to move there. [adapted from abstract]

This study investigates the causes of migration focusing on the role of salaries and benefits. Health professionals from public, private and non-governmental health facilities located in selected peri-urban and urban areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were surveyed about their current positions and attitudes toward migration. [from abstract]

High levels of unmet need for family planning and high contraceptive discontinuation rates persist in Jordan, prompting the initiation a client-centered family planning service program with community-based activities to encourage women with unmet need to visit health centers, which was evaluated in this study. [adapted from abstract]

This study compared the effects of an externship program and a corporate-academic cooperation program on enhancing junior college students’ nursing competence and retention rates in the first 3 months and 1 year of initial employment.

This paper addresses indicators of health worker motivation and assesses associations with quality care and patient safety in Ghana. The aim is to identify interventions at the health worker level that contribute to quality improvement in healthcare facilities. [from abstract]

The study contributes to quality improvement programs responsible for accelerating reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Uganda. It documents and informs clinicians, hospital managers, and policy makers about quality of care aspects that need to be improved in promoting newborns and maternal survival and well being during labor to promote women’s utilization of skilled attendance at birth. [from author]

The article focuses on health staff and managers, who develop and maintain routine health information systems, and highlights specific information needs, analysis, access and dissemination required to enable local and national emergency and public health teams to mount an adequate response to disasters. [from author]

This study piloted home-based counseling and testing with point-of-care CD4 count testing and follow-up visits from lay counselors to facilitate linkage of HIV-infected persons to local HIV clinics and uptake of antiretroviral treatment in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. [adapted from abstract]

The aim of this study was explore the knowledge, experience and attitudes of medical and nursing professionals towards detecting and reporting adverse events following immunization. [from abstract]

This presentation outlines the methodology, aims and results of a highly successful and innovative program of pre-service health education at Lurio University that links future health professionals with the community by assigning each student to a family. The student monitors the family’s health status and analyzes the social, economic and cultural aspects impacting on the individuals’s and family health such as education and nutrition.