| 1. |
- Eriksson, Leif, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence-based practice in neonatal health : knowledge among primary health care staff in northern Viet Nam
- 2009
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 7, s. 36-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: An estimated four million deaths occur each year among children in the neonatal period. Current evidence-based interventions could prevent a large proportion of these deaths. However, health care workers involved in neonatal care need to have knowledge regarding such practices before being able to put them into action.The aim of this survey was to assess the knowledge of primary health care practitioners regarding basic, evidence-based procedures in neonatal care in a Vietnamese province. A further aim was to investigate whether differences in level of knowledge were linked to certain characteristics of community health centres, such as access to national guidelines in reproductive health care, number of assisted deliveries and geographical location. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was completed within a baseline study preparing for an intervention study on knowledge translation (Implementing knowledge into practice for improved neonatal survival: a community-based trial in Quang Ninh province, Viet Nam, the NeoKIP project, ISRCTN44599712). Sixteen multiple-choice questions from five basic areas of evidence-based practice in neonatal care were distributed to 155 community health centres in 12 districts in a Vietnamese province, reaching 412 primary health care workers. RESULTS: All health care workers approached for the survey responded. Overall, they achieved 60% of the maximum score of the questionnaire. Staff level of knowledge on evidence-based practice was linked to the geographical location of the CHC, but not to access to the national guidelines or the number of deliveries at the community level. Two separated geographical areas were identified with differences in staff level of knowledge and concurrent differences in neonatal survival, antenatal care and postnatal home visits. CONCLUSION: We have identified a complex pattern of associations between knowledge, geography, demographic factors and neonatal outcomes. Primary health care staff knowledge regarding neonatal health is scarce. This is a factor that is possible to influence and should be considered in future efforts for improving the neonatal health situation in Viet Nam.
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| 2. |
- Daniels, Karen, et al.
(författare)
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Supervision of community peer counsellors for infant feeding in South Africa : an exploratory qualitative study
- 2010
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 8, s. 6-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Recent years have seen a re-emergence of community health worker (CHW) interventions, especially in relation to HIV care, and in increasing coverage of child health interventions. Such programmes can be particularly appealing in the face of human resource shortages and fragmented health systems. However, do we know enough about how these interventions function in order to support the investment? While research based on strong quantitative study designs such as randomised controlled trials increasingly document their impact, there has been less empirical analysis of the internal mechanisms through which CHW interventions succeed or fail. Qualitative process evaluations can help fill this gap. Methods: This qualitative paper reports on the experience of three CHW supervisors who were responsible for supporting infant feeding peer counsellors. The intervention took place in three diverse settings in South Africa. Each setting employed one CHW supervisor, each of whom was individually interviewed for this study. The study forms part of the process evaluation of a large-scale randomized controlled trial of infant feeding peer counselling support. Results: Our findings highlight the complexities of supervising and supporting CHWs. In order to facilitate effective infant feeding peer counselling, supervisors in this study had to move beyond mere technical management of the intervention to broader people management. While their capacity to achieve this was based on their own prior experience, it was enhanced through being supported themselves. In turn, resource limitations and concerns over safety and being in a rural setting were raised as some of the challenges to supervision. Adding to the complexity was the issue of HIV. Supervisors not only had to support CHWs in their attempts to offer peer counselling to mothers who were potentially HIV positive, but they also had to deal with supporting HIV-positive peer counsellors. Conclusions: This study highlights the need to pay attention to the experiences of supervisors so as to better understand the components of supervision in the field. Such understanding can enhance future policy making, planning and implementation of peer community health worker programmes.
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| 3. |
- Kaboru, Berthollet Bwira, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Can biomedical and traditional health care providers work together? : Zambian practitioners' experiences and attitudes towards collaboration in relation to STIs and HIV/AIDS care. A cross-sectional study
- 2006
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 4:16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization's World health report 2006: Working together for health underscores the importance of human resources for health. The shortage of trained health professionals is among the main obstacles to strengthening low-income countries' health systems and to scaling up HIV/AIDS control efforts. Traditional health practitioners are increasingly depicted as key resources to HIV/AIDS prevention and care. An appropriate and effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis requires reconsideration of the collaboration between traditional and biomedical health providers (THPs and BHPs). The aim of this paper is to explore biomedical and traditional health practitioners' experiences of and attitudes towards collaboration and to identify obstacles and potential opportunities for them to collaborate regarding care for patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS.METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in two Zambian urban sites, using structured questionnaires. We interviewed 152 biomedical health practitioners (BHPs) and 144 traditional health practitioners (THPs) who reported attending to patients with STIs and HIV/AIDS.RESULTS: The study showed a very low level of experience of collaboration, predominated by BHPs training THPs (mostly traditional birth attendants) on issues of safe delivery. Intersectoral contacts addressing STIs and HIV/AIDS care issues were less common. However, both groups of providers overwhelmingly acknowledged the potential role of THPs in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Obstacles to collaboration were identified at the policy level in terms of legislation and logistics. Lack of trust in THPs by individual BHPs was also found to inhibit collaboration. Nevertheless, as many as 40% of BHPs expressed an interest in working more closely with THPs.CONCLUSION: There is indication that practitioners from both sectors seem willing to strengthen collaboration with each other. However, there are missed opportunities. The lack of collaborative framework integrating maternal health with STIs and HIV/AIDS care is at odds with the needed comprehensive approach to HIV/AIDS control. Also, considering the current human resources crisis in Zambia, substantial policy commitment is called for to address the legislative obstacles and the stigma reported by THPs and to provide an adequate distribution of roles between all partners, including traditional health practitioners, in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.
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| 4. |
- Rudman, Ann, et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring the newly qualified nurses in Sweden : the Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education (LANE) study
- 2010
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 8, s. 10-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education (LANE) study was initiated in 2002, with the aim of longitudinally examining a wide variety of individual and work-related variables related to psychological and physical health, as well as rates of employee and occupational turnover, and professional development among nursing students in the process of becoming registered nurses and entering working life. The aim of this paper is to present the LANE study, to estimate representativeness and analyse response rates over time, and also to describe common career pathways and life transitions during the first years of working life.METHODS: Three Swedish national cohorts of nursing students on university degree programmes were recruited to constitute the cohorts. Of 6138 students who were eligible for participation, a total of 4316 consented to participate and responded at baseline (response rate 70%). The cohorts will be followed prospectively for at least three years of their working life.RESULTS: Sociodemographic data in the cohorts were found to be close to population data, as point estimates only differed by 0-3% from population values. Response rates were found to decline somewhat across time, and this decrease was present in all analysed subgroups. During the first year after graduation, nearly all participants had qualified as nurses and had later also held nursing positions. The most common reason for not working was due to maternity leave. About 10% of the cohorts who graduated in 2002 and 2004 intended to leave the profession one year after graduating, and among those who graduated in 2006 the figure was almost twice as high. Intention to leave the profession was more common among young nurses. In the cohort who graduated in 2002, nearly every fifth registered nurse continued to further higher educational training within the health professions. Moreover, in this cohort, about 2% of the participants had left the nursing profession five years after graduating.CONCLUSION: Both high response rates and professional retention imply a potential for a thorough analysis of professional practice and occupational health.
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| 5. |
- Theodorakis, P.N., et al.
(författare)
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Measuring health inequalities in Albania : A focus on the distribution of general practitioners
- 2006
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The health workforce has a dynamically changing nature and the regular documentation of the distribution of health professionals is a persistent policy concern. The aim of the present study was to examine available human medical resources in primary care and identify possible inequalities regarding the distribution of general practitioners in Albania between 2000 and 2004. Methods: With census data, we investigated the degree of inequality by calculating relative inequality indices. We plotted the Lorenz curves and calculated the Gini, Atkinson and Robin Hood indices and decile ratios, both before and after adjusting for mortality and consultation rates. Results: The Gini index for the distribution of general practitioners in 2000 was 0.154. After adjusting for mortality it was 0.126, while after adjusting for consultation rates it was 0.288. The Robin Hood index for 2000 was 11.2%, which corresponds to 173 general practitioners who should be relocated in order to achieve equality. The corresponding figure after adjusting for mortality was 9.2% (142 general practitioners), while after adjusting for consultation rates the number was 20.6% (315). These figures changed to 6.3% (100), 6.3% (115) and 19.8% (315) in 2004. Conclusion: There was a declining trend in the inequality of distribution of general practitioners in Albania between 2000 and 2004. The trend in inequality was apparent irrespective of the relative inequality indicator used. The level of inequality varied depending on the adjustment method used. Reallocation strategies for general practitioners in Albania could be the key in alleviating the inequalities in primary care workforce distribution. © 2006 Theodorakis et al, licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Zulu, Joseph Mumba, et al.
(författare)
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Hope and despair : community health assistants' experiences of working in a rural district in Zambia
- 2014
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1478-4491. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: In order to address the challenges facing the community-based health workforce in Zambia, the Ministry of Health implemented the national community health assistant strategy in 2010. The strategy aims to address the challenges by creating a new group of workers called community health assistants (CHAs) and integrating them into the health system. The first group started working in August 2012. The objective of this paper is to document their motivation to become a CHA, their experiences of working in a rural district, and how these experiences affected their motivation to work.METHODS: A phenomenological approach was used to examine CHAs' experiences. Data collected through in-depth interviews with 12 CHAs in Kapiri Mposhi district and observations were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.RESULTS: Personal characteristics such as previous experience and knowledge, passion to serve the community and a desire to improve skills motivated people to become CHAs. Health systems characteristics such as an inclusive work culture in some health posts motivated CHAs to work. Conversely, a non-inclusive work culture created a social structure which constrained CHAs' ability to learn, to be innovative and to effectively conduct their duties. Further, limited supervision, misconceptions about CHA roles, poor prioritisation of CHA tasks by some supervisors, as well as non- and irregular payment of incentives also adversely affected CHAs' ability to work effectively. In addition, negative feedback from some colleagues at the health posts affected CHA's self-confidence and professional outlook. In the community, respect and support provided to CHAs by community members instilled a sense of recognition, appreciation and belonging in CHAs which inspired them to work. On the other hand, limited drug supplies and support from other community-based health workers due to their exclusion from the government payroll inhibited CHAs' ability to deliver services.CONCLUSIONS: Programmes aimed at integrating community-based health workers into health systems should adequately consider multiple incentives, effective management, supervision and support from the district. These should be tailored towards enhancing the individual, health system and community characteristics that positively impact work motivation at the local level if such programmes are to effectively contribute towards improved primary healthcare.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Bogren, Malin, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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Midwives' challenges and factors that motivate them to remain in their workplace in the Democratic Republic of Congo-an interview study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 18
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has high maternal mortality and a low number of midwives, which undermines the achievement of goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, specifically the health of the mother and newborn. Scaling up the midwifery workforce in relation to number, quality of healthcare, and retention in service is therefore critical. The aim of this study was to investigate midwives' challenges and factors that motivate them to remain in their workplace in the DRC. Methods Data were collected in two out of 26 provinces in the DRC through ten focus group discussions with a total of 63 midwives working at ten different healthcare facilities. Transcribed discussions were inductively analysed using content analysis. Results The midwives' challenges and the factors motivating them to remain in their workplace in the DRC are summarised in one main category-Loving one's work makes it worthwhile to remain in one's workplace, despite a difficult work environment and low professional status-consisting of three generic categories:Midwifery is not just a profession; it's a callingis described in the subcategories Saving lives through midwifery skills, Building relationships with the women and the community, and Professional pride;Unsupportive organisational systemis expressed in the subcategories Insufficient work-related security and No equitable remuneration system, within Hierarchical management structures; andInadequate pre-conditions in the work environmentincludes the subcategories Lack of resources and equipment and Insufficient competence for difficult working conditions. Conclusion Midwives in the DRC are driven by a strong professional conscience to provide the best possible care for women during childbirth, despite a difficult work environment and low professional status. To attract and retain midwives and ensure that they are working to their full scope of practice, we suggest coordinated actions at the regional and national levels in the DRC and in other low-income countries with similar challenges, including (i) conducting midwifery education programmes following international standards, (ii) prioritising and enforcing policies to include adequate remuneration for midwives, (iii) involving midwives' associations in policy and planning about the midwifery workforce, and (iv) ensuring that midwives' working environments are safe and well equipped.
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| 10. |
- D'Ambruoso, Lucia, et al.
(författare)
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Expanding Community Health Worker decision space : learning from a Participatory Action Research training intervention in a rural South African district
- 2023
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1478-4491. ; 21:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: While integral to decentralising health reforms, Community Health Workers (CHWs) in South Africa experience many challenges. During COVID-19, CHW roles changed rapidly, shifting from communities to clinics. In the contexts of new roles and re-engineered primary healthcare (PHC), the objectives were to: (a) implement a training intervention to support local decision-making capability of CHWs; and (b) assess learning and impacts from the perspectives of CHWs.Methods: CHWs from three rural villages (n = 9) were trained in rapid Participatory Action Research (PAR) with peers and community stakeholders (n = 33). Training equipped CHWs with tools and techniques to convene community groups, raise and/or respond to local health concerns, understand concerns from different perspectives, and facilitate action in communities and public services. CHWs’ perspectives before and after the intervention were gained through semi-structured interviews. Data were collected and analysed using the decision space framework to understand local actors’ power to affect devolved decision-making.Results: CHWs demonstrated significant resilience and commitment in the face of COVID-19. They experienced multiple, intersecting challenges including: limited financial, logistical and health systems support, poor role clarity, precarious employment, low and no pay, unstable organisational capacity, fragile accountability mechanisms and belittling treatment in clinics. Together, these restricted decision space and were seen to reflect a low valuing of the cadre in the system. CHWs saw the training as a welcome opportunity to assert themselves as a recognised cadre. Regular, spaces for dialogue and mutual learning supported CHWs to gain tools and skills to rework their agency in more empowered ways. The training improved management capacity, capabilities for dialogue, which expanded role clarity, and strengthened community mobilisation, facilitation and analysis skills. Development of public speaking skills was especially valued. CHWs reported an overall ‘tripe-benefit’ from the training: community-acceptance; peer support; and dialogue with and recognition by the system. The training intervention was recommended for scale-up by the health authority as an implementation support strategy for PHC.Conclusions: Lack of recognition of CHWs is coupled with limited opportunities for communication and trust-building. The training supported CHWs to find and amplify their voices in strategic partnerships, and helped build functionality for local decision-making.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Höjer, Bengt
(författare)
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Can biomedical and and traditional health care providers work together? : Zambian practitioners´experiences and attitudes to collaboration in relation to care of STIs and HIV/AIDS
- 2006
-
Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - 1478-4491. ; 4:16
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The World Health Organization's World health report 2006: Working together for health underscores the importance of human resources for health. The shortage of trained health professionals is among the main obstacles to strengthening low-income countries' health systems and to scaling up HIV/AIDS control efforts. Traditional health practitioners are increasingly depicted as key resources to HIV/AIDS prevention and care. An appropriate and effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis requires reconsideration of the collaboration between traditional and biomedical health providers (THPs and BHPs). The aim of this paper is to explore biomedical and traditional health practitioners' experiences of and attitudes towards collaboration and to identify obstacles and potential opportunities for them to collaborate regarding care for patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in two Zambian urban sites, using structured questionnaires. We interviewed 152 biomedical health practitioners (BHPs) and 144 traditional health practitioners (THPs) who reported attending to patients with STIs and HIV/AIDS. Results The study showed a very low level of experience of collaboration, predominated by BHPs training THPs (mostly traditional birth attendants) on issues of safe delivery. Intersectoral contacts addressing STIs and HIV/AIDS care issues were less common. However, both groups of providers overwhelmingly acknowledged the potential role of THPs in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Obstacles to collaboration were identified at the policy level in terms of legislation and logistics. Lack of trust in THPs by individual BHPs was also found to inhibit collaboration. Nevertheless, as many as 40% of BHPs expressed an interest in working more closely with THPs. Conclusion There is indication that practitioners from both sectors seem willing to strengthen collaboration with each other. However, there are missed opportunities. The lack of collaborative framework integrating maternal health with STIs and HIV/AIDS care is at odds with the needed comprehensive approach to HIV/AIDS control. Also, considering the current human resources crisis in Zambia, substantial policy commitment is called for to address the legislative obstacles and the stigma reported by THPs and to provide an adequate distribution of roles between all partners, including traditional health practitioners, in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.
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| 13. |
- Klarare, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 : Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing for use in a Swedish context
- 2021
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Patients’ health and wellbeing are promoted when nurses successfully conceptualize caring in clinical practice. Measuring caring behaviors can advance knowledge about caring and has potential to improve caring practices and the outcomes of care. The Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (CBI-24) is an empirical instrument for measuring caring, developed to determine perceptions of caring among patients and nurses. Since the instrument was not available in Swedish, the aim of this study was therefore to translate into Swedish and cross-culturally adapt CBI-24 for a Swedish healthcare context, and to psychometrically analyze the Swedish version of CBI-24.Methods: The study used a traditional forward and back translation process in six stages: (1) two simultaneous translations by bilingual experts; (2) expert review committee synthesis; (3) blind back translation; (4) expert review committee deliberations; (5) pre-testing with cognitive interviews, and (6) psychometric evaluations. Results: The translation process was systematically conducted and entailed discussions regarding semantic, idiomatic, experiential and conceptual equivalence. The cognitive interviews generated thoughts and reflections, which resulted in adjusting three items of the CBI-24 SWE. For psychometric analyses, 234 persons answered the questionnaire. Results indicated acceptable overall model fit in the χ2-value for the confirmatory factor analysis, while for the heuristic goodness-of-fit indices, the comparative fit index (CFI) and the standardized mean square residual (SMSR) indicated good model fits, and the root mean square error approximation (RMSEA) indicated an acceptable fit. Conclusions: CBI-24 SWE has been shown to be a psychometrically acceptable instrument for use in Swedish research contexts. Further studies regarding the clinical usefulness of the instrument may be in order. In particular, CBI-24 SWE should be evaluated among nurses in rural areas.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Mkoka, Dickson Ally, et al.
(författare)
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"Once the government employs you, it forgets you" : Health workers' and managers' perspectives on factors influencing working conditions for provision of maternal health care services in a rural district of Tanzania
- 2015
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - [Mkoka, Dickson Ally] Muhimbili Univ Hlth & Allied Sci, Sch Nursing, Dept Clin Nursing, Dar Es Salaam, nzania. [Mahiti, Gladys Reuben; Kiwara, Angwara; Mwangu, Mughwira] Muhimbili Univ Hlth & Allied Sci, Sch bl Hlth & Social Sci, Dept Dev Studies, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. [Goicolea, Isabel; Hurtig, Anna-Karin] Umea Univ, Unit Epidemiol & Global Hlth, Dept Publ Hlth & Clin d, S-90185 Umea, Sweden. : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In many developing countries, health workforce crisis is one of the predominant challenges affecting the health care systems' function of providing quality services, including maternal care. The challenge is related to how these countries establish conducive working conditions that attract and retain health workers into the health care sector and enable them to perform effectively and efficiently to improve health services particularly in rural settings. This study explored the perspectives of health workers and managers on factors influencing working conditions for providing maternal health care services in rural Tanzania. The researchers took a broad approach to understand the status of the current working conditions through a governance lens and brought into context the role of government and its decentralized organs in handling health workers in order to improve their performance and retention. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 informants (15 health workers, 5 members of Council Health Management Team and 2 informants from the District Executive Director's office). An interview guide was used with questions pertaining to informants' perspective on provision of maternal health care service, working environment, living conditions, handling of staff's financial claims, avenue for sharing concerns, opportunities for training and career progression. Probing questions on how these issues affect the health workers' role of providing maternal health care were employed. Document reviews and observations of health facilities were conducted to supplement the data. The interviews were analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Results: Overall, health workers felt abandoned and lost within an unsupportive system they serve. Difficult working and living environments that affect health workers' role of providing maternal health care services were dominant concerns raised from interviews with both health workers and managers. Existence of a bureaucratic and irresponsible administrative system was reported to result in the delay in responding to the health workers' claims timely and that there is no transparency and fairness in dealing with health workers' financial claims. Informants also reported on the non-existence of a formal motivation scheme and a free avenue for voicing and sharing health workers' concerns. Other challenges reported were lack of a clear strategic plan for staff career advancement and continuous professional development to improve health workers' knowledge and skills necessary for providing quality maternal health care. Conclusion: Health workers working in rural areas are facing a number of challenges that affect their working conditions and hence their overall performance. The government and its decentralized organs should be accountable to create conducive working and living environments, respond to health workers' financial claims fairly and equitably, plan for their career advancement and create a free avenue for voicing and sharing concerns with the management. To achieve this, efforts should be directed towards improving the governance of the human resource management system that will take into account the stewardship role of the government in handling human resource carefully and responsibly.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Sirili, Nathanael, et al.
(författare)
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"Doctors ready to be posted are jobless on the street…" the deployment process and shortage of doctors in Tanzania.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization advocates that health workforce development is a continuum of three stages of entry, available workforce and exit. However, many studies have focused on addressing the shortage of numbers and the retention of doctors in rural and remote areas. The latter has left the contribution of the entry stage in particularly the deployment process on the shortage of health workforce less understood. This study therefore explored the experiences of medical doctors (MDs) on the deployment process after the internship period in Tanzania's health sector.METHODS: A qualitative case study that adopted chain referral sampling was used to conduct 20 key informant interviews with MDs who graduated between 2003 and 2009 from two Medical Universities in Tanzania between February and April 2016. These MDs were working in hospitals at different levels and Medical Universities in eight regions and five geo-political zones in the country. Information gathered was analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach.RESULTS: Experiences on the deployment process fall into three categories. First, "uncertainties around the first appointment" attributed to lack of effective strategies for identification of the pool of available MDs, indecision and limited vacancies for employment in the public sector and private sector and non-transparent and lengthy bureaucratic procedures in offering government employment. Second, "failure to respect individuals' preferences of work location" which were based on the influence of family ties, fear of the unknown rural environment among urbanized MDs and concern for career prospects. Third, "feelings of insecurity about being placed at a regional and district level" partly due to local government authorities being unprepared to receive and accommodate MDs and territorial protectionism among assistant medical officers.CONCLUSIONS: Experiences of MDs on the deployment process in Tanzania reveal many challenges that need to be addressed for the deployment to contribute better in availability of equitably distributed health workforce in the country. Short-term, mid-term and long-term strategies are needed to address these challenges. These strategies should focus on linking of the internship with the first appointment, work place preferences, defining and supporting career paths to health workers working under the local government authorities, improving the working relationships and team building at the work places and fostering rural attachment to medical students during medical training.
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| 21. |
- Sirili, Nathanael, et al.
(författare)
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Public private partnership in training of doctors after the 1990s' health sector reforms : the case of Tanzania
- 2019
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1478-4491. ; 17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Similar to many other low- and middle-income countries, public private partnership (PPP) in the training of the health workforce has been emphasized since the launch of the 1990s’ health sector reforms in Tanzania. PPP in training aims to contribute to addressing the critical shortage of health workforce in these countries. This study aimed to analyse the policy process and experienced outcomes of PPP for the training of doctors in Tanzania two decades after the 1990s’ health sector reforms. We reviewed documents and interviewed key informants to collect data from training institutions and umbrella organizations that train and employ doctors in both the public and private sectors. We adopted a hybrid thematic approach to analyse the data while guided by the policy analysis framework by Gagnon and Labonté. PPP in training has contributed significantly to the increasing number of graduating doctors in Tanzania. In tandem, undermining of universities’ autonomy and the massive enrolment of medical students unfavourably affect the quality of graduating doctors. Although PPP has proven successful in increasing the number of doctors graduating, unemployment of the graduates and lack of database to inform the training needs and capacity to absorb the graduates have left the country with a health workforce shortage and maldistribution at service delivery points, just as before the introduction of the PPP. This study recommends that Tanzania revisit its PPP approach to ensure the health workforce crisis is addressed in its totality. A comprehensive plan is needed to address issues of training within the framework of PPP by engaging all stakeholders in training and deployment starting from the planning of the number of medical students, and when and how they will be trained while taking into account the quality of the training.
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| 22. |
- Sirili, Nathanael, et al.
(författare)
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Training and deployment of medical doctors in Tanzania post-1990s health sector reforms : assessing the achievements
- 2017
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The shortage of a skilled health workforce is a global crisis. International efforts to combat the crisis have shown few benefits; therefore, more country-specific efforts are required. Tanzania adopted health sector reforms in the 1990s to ensure, among other things, availability of an adequate skilled health workforce. Little is documented on how the post-reform training and deployment of medical doctors (MDs) have contributed to resolving Tanzania's shortage of doctors. The study aims to assess achievements in training and deployment of MDs in Tanzania about 20 years since the 1990s health sector reforms.METHODS: We developed a human resource for health (HRH) conceptual model to study achievements in the training and deployment of MDs by using the concepts of supply and demand. We analysed secondary data to document the number of MDs trained in Tanzania and abroad, and the number of MDs recommended for the health sector from 1992 to 2011. A cross-sectional survey conducted in all regions of the country established the number of MDs available by 2011.RESULTS: By 1992, Tanzania had 1265 MDs working in the country. From 1992 to 2010, 2622 MDs graduated both locally and abroad. This translates into 3887 MDs by 2011. Tanzania needs between 3326 and 5535 MDs. Our survey captured 1299 MDs working throughout the country. This number is less than 40% of all MDs trained in and needed for Tanzania by 2011. Maldistribution favouring big cities was evident; the eastern zone with less than 30% of the population hosts more than 50% of all MDs. No information was available on the more than 60% of MDs uncaptured by our survey.CONCLUSIONS: Two decades after the reforms, the number of MDs trained in Tanzania has increased sevenfold per year. Yet, the number and geographical distribution of MDs practicing in the country has remained the same as before the reforms. HRH planning should consider the three stages of health workforce development conceptualized under the demand and supply model. Auditing and improvement of the HRH database is highly recommended in dealing with Tanzania's MD crisis.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Sturesson, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Migrant physicians' entrance and advancement in the Swedish medical labour market : a cross-sectional study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundWorldwide, physicians are migrating to new countries and want to practise their profession. However, they may experience difficulties doing so. To optimise and accelerate their entrance into and advancement within the Swedish healthcare system, there is an urgent need to explore how they are currently doing so, as their competences should be put to use without any unnecessary delay. The aim of the study was to explore how migrant physicians with a medical degree from outside EU/EEA enter and advance within the medical labour market in Sweden and to identify perceived barriers and facilitating aspects in the process. The empirical findings are discussed in light of Bourdieu’s concept symbolic capital as adapted in the Swedish medical field.MethodsA cross-sectional study with a self-administrated questionnaire was disseminated. A sample of 498 migrant physicians were identified. Descriptive statistical analysis and qualitative thematic analysis were used to analyse the data.ResultsThe response rate was 57% (n = 283). Respondents mainly found their first positions via spontaneous job applications, during internships, while participating in an educational intervention or via personal contacts. Perceived barriers to entering and advancing within the medical field in Sweden were mainly related to having a medical degree from and/or originating from another country, which could in turn represent discrimination and/or having one’s competence undervalued as a result. Facilitating aspects included having or developing contacts in Swedish healthcare and gaining proficiency or fluency in the Swedish language.ConclusionsWhen MPs find their first positions, the contacts they have developed appear to play a role, and when advancing in their positions, the active development of a variety of contacts seems to be beneficial. MPs experience a variety of barriers to entering and advancing within the field that could be related to discrimination. Many MPs perceived having their competences undervalued due to their origin or to being educated abroad. Based on the respondents’ experiences, our interpretation is that MPs as a group are hierarchically positioned lower in the Swedish medical field than physicians trained in the country. Facilitating aspects included educational interventions, having contacts and developing language skills. For optimal entry into the labour market, it is vitally important for MPs to learn the new language and obtain a job or internship in the field as soon as possible.
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- Sturesson Stabel, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Migrant physicians' choice of employment and the medical specialty general practice : a mixed-methods study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Human Resources for Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-4491. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: In many countries, migrant physicians (MP) tend to fill staff shortages in medical specialties perceived as low status. The aim of this study was to explore aspects that influence MPs', with a medical degree from outside EU/EEA, choice of employment and medical specialty in Sweden, and to explore and understand a potential over-representation in general practice (family medicine), a specialty suffering from staff shortages in Sweden.Methods: A mixed-methods approach was applied. This included questionnaire data from 101 MPs training and working as medical specialists in Sweden and semi-structured interview data from four MPs specializing in general practice.Results: Regardless of specialty, the most influential aspects when choosing employment were the ability to combine work with family, to develop one ' s competence, and to have highly competent colleagues. Women scored higher on some aspects related to private life and the surroundings. More than half (55%) of the respondents specialized in general practice, and more women than men. The MPs in general practice scored higher on the aspect 'ability to have the same patients for a longer period' than MPs specializing in other specialties. No significant difference between MP general practitioner respondents and MPs in other medical specialties was found in relation to the item 'Was the specialty your first choice?'. Aspects identified in the interviews that influenced the choice to specialize in general practice related to job opportunities, positive experiences of primary health care, working conditions, and family conditions.Conclusion: Labour market conditions such as high competition, and the time-consuming recertification process, can influence the choice to specialize in general practice as this reduces the time to become a medical specialist. We however did not find any results indicating that MPs' decision to specialize in general practice and to work as general practitioners was any less voluntary than that of MPs who chose other specialties.
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