Education and Training

The paper’s broad aim is to encourage HPE [Health Professional education] leaders to make gender-transformative reforms in the current way of doing business and commit to themselves to countering gender discrimination and inequality. Interventions to counter gender discrimination should be seen as integral parts of institutional and instructional reforms and essential investments to scale up quality HPE and recruit and retain health workers in the systems that educate and employ them. Implementation challenges spanning financial, informational, and cultural barriers need consideration.

Health workers’ knowledge of contraceptive side effects increased substantially after the refresher training. The mobile phone approach was convenient and flexible and did not disrupt routine service delivery. Clear limitations of the medium are participants can’t practice clinical skills or have interactive discussions. Also, some participants had trouble with network reception. [from abstract]

This paper examines Canadian CHNs learning needs in relation to the 2008 Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice (CCHN Standards). It answers: What are the learning needs of CHNs in Canada in relation to the CCHN Standards? What are differences in CHNs’ learning needs by: province and territory in Canada, work setting (home health, public health and other community health settings) and years of nursing practice? [from abstract]

Data collectors implementing the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) survey tools must be trained to a high standard. To enable this, MEASURE Evaluation has developed a training manual and materials for data collectors. Groups wanting to implement the OVC survey tools will need to adapt this training manual and materials to reflect the aims and design of the specific study. [from introduction]

During national scale up of Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) in Rwanda, greater improvements in care-seeking were found in the districts where Kabeho Mwana implemented its model than in the rest of the country. Success was attributed to an emphasis on routine data review, intensive monitoring, collaborative supervision, community mobilization, and, in particular, CHW peer support groups. [from introduction]

The identification and treatment of mental disorders must be considered an urgent public health priority in low- and middle-income countries. Trained primary health workers can deliver safe and effective treatment for mental disorders as a feasible alternative to ease the scarcity of mental health specialists in developing countries. [from abstract]

Training is clearly an important contribution towards the development and maintenance of health worker competencies for delivering quality services – but how can we make training more effective, efficient and sustainable? We gathered participants from around the world at a side session to harvest and share experiences, strategies and lessons learnt.
So what did we learn? We’ve conveniently packaged together the questions we discussed along with some of the main lessons learnt here. [adapted from authors]

This study aims to evaluate the Developmental –Behavioural pediatrics (DBP) training experiences of pediatricians and pediatric trainees during their post graduate training in pediatrics. [from abstract]

During the three-and-a-half years of implementation, Ethiopia’s [Federal Ministry of Health] developed a new community health strategy for the Health Extension Program consisting of Primary Health Care Units (health centers and health posts) and the Health Development army. [adapted from abstract]

Zonal Hospital, Mandi identified that they were not identifying women with high risk conditions during their antenatal care (ANC) clinic. By re-organizing the clinic, the hospital was able to increase the proportion of pregnant women identified as being at high-risk from 1.6% to 12.3% in a matter of weeks. [from abstract]

To compare the effectiveness of mobile phone text messaging and that of traditional health worker training in communicating clinical recommendations to health workers in China. [from abstract]

Sri Lankan rural doctors based in isolated peripheral hospitals routinely resuscitate critically ill patients but have difficulty accessing training. We tested a train-the-trainer model that could be utilised in isolated rural hospitals. [from abstract]

Using the IST Improvement Framework, developed by the USAID Applying Sciences to Strengthen and Improve Systems Project (ASSIST), as a guide, the authors developed a survey tool to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of IST provided between January 2007 and July 2012 by PEPFAR-funded implementing partners in Nigeria. [from abstract]

This pilot study, which followed a convenience sample of 37 Ethiopian nationals enrolled in a spaced education course over a six-month period, attempted to determine the acceptability and effectiveness of the methodology in a low-resource context. [from abstract]

This paper reports an exploratory trial designed to test the effect of a low-cost training in-service training intervention for primary health care providers on: the rate of accurate routine clinic detection of mental disorder and recovery (improved health and social outcomes and quality of life) of clients. [adapted from author]

This pilot study followed 37 Ethiopian nationals enrolled in a spaced education course over a six-month period, attempted to determine the acceptability and effectiveness of the electronic delivery methodology in a low-resource context. [adapted from abstract]

This integrative review of the education and training literature was conducted to identify effective training approaches for health worker continuing professional education and what evidence exists of outcomes derived from this training. [from abstract]

This paper presents the methods and results of a project to develop an outcome-focused training evaluation framework that links health care worker training to improved health outcomes. [adapted from abstract]

These guidelines provide the information and guidance needed to implement effective basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care training. Recommendations are made for selecting participants and clinical sites, training schedules, and where to find the materials and resources needed for effective clinical skills practice. Use of these guidelines will enable facilitators to train providers who are competent in evidence-based practices and who will ensure that their facilities offer quality services. [from author]

A lack of knowledge regarding pain management and registered nurse’s perception of cancer pain could act as barriers to effective pain management. This study aimed to investigate if a theory-based educational intervention could change nurses’ knowledge and attitudes to cancer pain and pain management, both four and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention. [adapted from abstract]

This short report describes the improvement framework for in-service training programs. It describes the final set of 40 in-service training improvement recommendations developed through a consensus process with representatives of key stakeholders. [adapted from publisher]

The focus of this review was to determine what cultural and learning factors need to be considered when developing a curriculum for South Pacific pharmaceutical health personnel who work across a range of practice environments. [from abstract]

This evaluation aims to describe and analyze peer-to-peer learning among health workers and the spread of better care practices within regions and across regions improve care provided to those needing HIV and AIDS services. [adapted from summary]

The authors tested the impacts of a professionally assisted peer-group intervention on Chilean health workers’ HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and 3 month post-test. [from author]

This study investigated how students and tutors perceive a blended learning approach using virtual patients as preparation for medical students for skills laboratory training. [adapted from author]

This article outlines the development and use of an eight-month modular, in-service work-based training program in Uganda aimed at strengthening the capacity for monitoring and evaluation and continuous quality improvement in health service delivery. [adapted from abstract]

This guide contains detailed guidance on how to train safe motherhood action group volunteers in two key areas of their portfolio – maternal and newborn health care.

This study sought to prove that mentoring plays an important role in professional nurse training and support and that recall of lost-to-follow-up patients is feasible and effective in improving ART services in rural settings. [adapted from author]

This case study explores the development and impact of a training program to improve health sector management and leadership so that the ministry of health could become more efficient and provide the quality of services that the Egyptian population needed and demanded. [adapted from author]

This article presents factors that influenced the implementation of a capacity building assistance program in the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Island jurisdictions that worked with health professionals to develop local organizational and clinical HIV capacity. It also evaluates the program to understand the contextual factors affecting the delivery of services. [adapted from introduction]