Journal Articles

Transforming Rural Health Systems through Clinical Academic Leadership: Lessons from South Africa

Rural health training programs for health professionals have been slow to develop in low- and middle-income countries, and the impact of clinical leadership is under-researched in such settings. This report lists recommendations focused on supporting local rural clinical academic leaders; training health professionals for leadership roles in rural settings; and advancing the clinical academic leadership agenda through advocacy and research. [adapted from abstract]

Role of Community-Based Health Planning and Services Strategy in Involving Males in the Provision of Family Planning Services: A Qualitative Study in Southern Ghana

This study evaluated the effect of a program that trained community health nurses and relocated them to the community to provide door-to-door services on the level of male involvement in family planning services. [adapted from author]

Trauma and Mental Health of Medics in Eastern Myanmar's Conflict Zones: A Cross-Sectional and Mixed Methods Investigation

This study examines a population of community health workers in Karen State, eastern Myanmar to explore the manifestations of health providers’ psychological distress in a low-resource conflict environment.

Quality of Care, Risk Management, and Technology in Obstetrics to Reduce Hospital-Based Maternal Mortality in Senegal and Mali (QUARITE): A Cluster-Randomised Trial

This article assesses the effect of a trial multifaceted intervention to promote maternity death reviews and onsite training for health workers in emergency obstetric care in referral hospitals with high maternal mortality rates in Senegal and Mali. [adapted from summary]

Use of Surgical Task Shifting to Scale Up Essential Surgical Services: A Feasibility Analysis at Facility Level in Uganda

This study set out to assess the views of clinicians and managers on the use of task shifting as an effective way of alleviating shortages of skilled personnel at a facility level. [from abstract]

Promoting Universal Financial Protection: Contracting Faith-Based Health Facilities to Expand Access - Lessons Learned from Malawi

In Malawi, the Ministry of Health contracts selected health facilities owned by the main faith-based provider, the Christian Health Association of Malawi to deliver care at no fee to the most vulnerable and under-served populations in the country through Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Can a Theory-Based Educational Intervention Change Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Concerning Cancer Pain Management? A Quasi-Experimental Design

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]

Human Resource Development for a Community-Based Health Extension Program: A Case Study from Ethiopia

This article describes the strategies, human resource developments, service delivery modalities, progress in service coverage, and the challenges in the implementation of the Health Extension Program, a a primary care delivery strategy, to address the challenges and achieve the World Health Organization Millennium Development Goals within a context of limited resources in Ethiopia. [adapted from abstract]

What Interventions Do Rural Doctors Think Will Increase Recruitment in Rural Areas: A Survey of 2778 Health Workers in Beijing

Strategies have been developed by the Chinese government to improve the recruitment of rural doctors. However, the inequitable distribution of doctors has not improved significantly. The objective of this study was to explore the reasons for the poor recruitment and to propose possible strategies to improve the situation. [adapted from abstract]

Integrative Review and Evidence-Based Conceptual Model of the Essential Components of Pre-Service Education

Th authors performed an integrative review of the literature to analyse factors contributing to quality pre-service education and created a conceptual model that shows the links between essential elements of quality pre-service education and desired outcomes. [from abstract]

Factors Associated with Burnout among Chinese Hospital Doctors: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study investigated the factors related to burnout among Chinese doctors in order to improve the health of doctors and the quality of healthcare services in China. [adapted from abstract]

Feasibility and Acceptability of HIV Screening through the Use of Rapid Tests by General Practitioners in a Brussels Area with a Substantial African Community

The aim of the study was to assess whether HIV screening with rapid testing in Belgium neighborhoods with a significant African community was feasible and acceptable to both general practitioners and patients, and to determine the number of new HIV infections diagnosed among tested patients. [from introduction]

Where Is Information Quality Lost at Clinical Level? A Mixed-Method Study on Information Systems and Data Quality in Three Urban Kenyan ANC Clinics

This study aims to describe and assess selected clinical and reporting information processes of health workers providing antenatal care services in three Kenyan facilities to the national health information system. It assessed different aspects of clinical information systems and the quality of data. [adapted from author]

Challenges to the Implementation of Health Sector Decentralization in Tanzania: Experiences from Kongwa District Council

This article examines and documents the experiences facing the implementation of decentralization of health services from the perspective of national and district officials, including inadequate funding, untimely disbursement of funds from the central government, insufficient and unqualified personnel, lack of community participation in planning and political interference. [adapted from author]

Operations Research to Add Postpartum Family Planning to Maternal and Neonatal Health to Improve Birth Spacing in Sylhet District, Bangladesh

This article documents the intervention package and evaluation design of a study conducted in a rural district of Bangladesh to evaluate the effects of an integrated, community-based maternal and neonatal health and postpartum family planning program on contraceptive use and birth-interval lengths.

Islam and Family Planning: Changing Perceptions of Health Care Providers and Medical Faculty in Pakistan

The authors evaluated the effectiveness of a training for facility-based health care providers, managers, and medical college faculty members that offered client-centered family planning services, including a module to explain the Islamic viewpoint on family planning. [adapted from abstract]

Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction and Retention of Medical Laboratory Professionals in Seven Countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

This article reports on a survey implemented in seven Sub-Saharan African countries developed to assess the factors responsible for job satisfaction and retention as a key component for tailoring specific interventions aiming at improving the overall impact of health programs. [adapted from abstract]

Trends of Cross-Border Mobility of Physicians and Nurses between Portugal and Spain

This paper presents the results of a study of current mobility trends of health professionals along the borders between Portugal and Spain. The objective was to describe the profile of mobile physicians and nurses; to elicit the opinions of employers on mobility factors; to describe incentive policies to retain or attract health professionals; and to collect and analyse employers’ opinions on the impact of this mobility on their health services. [from abstract]

Reaching Mothers and Babies with Early Postnatal Home Visits: The Implementation Realities of Achieving High Coverage in Large-Scale Programs

Community-based maternal and newborn care programs with postnatal home visits from providers who can deliver preventive or curative services that save lives have been tested in Bangladesh, Malawi, and Nepal. This paper examines coverage and content of home visits in pilot areas and factors associated with receipt of postnatal visits. [adapted from abstract]

Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?

This article aimed o analyse possible differences in biological stress markers, psycho-social working conditions, health, and well-being between nurses working in two different departments. [from abstract]

Implementing a Provider-Initiated Testing and Counseling (PITC) Intervention in Cape Town, South Africa: A Process Evaluation Using the Normalisation Process Model

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]

Forecasting the Absolute and Relative Shortage of Physicians in Japan Using a System Dynamics Model Approach

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]

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

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]

Quality of Sick Child Care Delivered by Health Surveillance Assistants in Malawi

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]

Integrating Child Health Services into Malaria Control Services of Village Malaria Workers in Remote Cambodia: Service Utilization and Knowledge of Malaria Management of Caregivers

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]

Malaria Diagnosis and Treatment Practices Following Introduction of Rapid Diagnostic Tests in Kibaha District, Coast Region, Tanzania

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]

Public Health Communications and Alert Fatigue

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]

Demonstration Study Comparing Role-Emergent Versus Role-Established Pharmacy Clinical Placement Experiences in Long-Term Care Facilities

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]

Migration of South African Health Workers: The Extent to Which Financial Considerations Influence Internal Flows and External Movements

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]

Client-Centered Counseling Improves Client Satisfaction with Family Planning Visits: Evidence from Irbid, Jordan

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]