HRH Global Resource Center - Substitute Health Workers

Medicine Sellers' Perspectives on Their Role in Providing Health Care in North-West Cameroon: A Qualitative Study

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 17:16:44 +0000

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]

Establishing a Health Information Workforce: Innovation for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 14:48:06 +0000

This article describes the early outcomes, achievements, and challenges from an initiative that hired university graduates without training in health information and provided on-the-job training and mentoring to create a new cadre of health worker in order to address the shortage of health information personnel within Botswana. [adapted from abstract]

Role of Clinical Officers in the Kenyan Health System: A Question of Perspective

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 14:42:39 +0000

This work explored perceptions of the roles of Kenyan non-physician clinicians in typical health system settings. [adapted from abstract]

Clinical Staging of HIV-Related Illness in Mozambique: Performance of Nonphysician Clinicians Based on Direct Observation of Clinical Care and Implications for Health Worker Training

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 19:06:01 +0000

In Mozambique, clinical staging may be the primary determinant of HIV/AIDS treatment decisions, and the task of staging commonly falls to non-physician clinicians. This study evaluated the quality of performance in clinical staging two years after the first Mozambican clinicians were trained in HIV/AIDS care. [adapted from abstract]

Volunteering in Health Care: Securing a Sustainable Future

Wed, 03 Jul 2013 16:34:27 +0000

This research indicates that volunteers play an important role in improving people’s experience of care, building stronger relationships between services and communities, supporting integrated care, improving public health and reducing health inequalities. [from author]

Expanded and Advances Health Practitioners, and Their Role and Relevance in the Pacific

Thu, 27 Jun 2013 15:16:47 +0000

Pacific health workforce planners must consider the potential impact on existing models of care and roles of advanced practitioners from the increasing number of medical graduates from both within and outside the region; particularly, the balance of doctors’ roles with those of established advanced health practitioners. [from author]

Expanded and Extended Health Practitioner Roles: A Review of International Practice

Thu, 27 Jun 2013 13:17:04 +0000

This paper reviews complementary roles to those of traditional health workers, focusing on extended and expanded scopes of practice. It describes international trends and approaches to the planning and delivery of a health workforce that move away from a structure based on traditional roles and scopes of practice [from author]

Effect of Women's Groups and Volunteer Peer Counselling on Rates of Mortality, Morbidity, and Health Behaviours in Mothers and Children in Rural Malawi (MaiMwana): A Factorial, Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 19:15:34 +0000

This article describes an assessment of the effects of community mobilisation through women’s groups, and health education through female volunteer peer counsellors on rates of infant care, feeding, morbidity, and mortality. [adapted from author]

Introducing Peer Worker Roles into UK Mental Health Service Teams: A Qualitative Analysis of the Organisational Benefits and Challenges

Tue, 28 May 2013 15:13:13 +0000

This paper seeks to address a gap in the empirical literature in understanding the organisational challenges and benefits of introducing peer worker roles into mental health service teams. [from abstract]

Lady Health Worker Program in Pakistan: A Commentary

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:12:49 +0000

This article describes the Lady Health Worker Program in Pakistan based on training women from local communities to provide specific, basic primary health-care treatment plus preventive services and the success of the program in enabling timely treatment, prevention and even screening. [adapted from author]