<strong>Background:</strong> Contraception is an inexpensive and cost-effective intervention, but health workforce shortages and restrictive policies on the roles of mid and lower-level cadres limit access...<strong>Background:</strong> Contraception is an inexpensive and cost-effective intervention, but health workforce shortages and restrictive policies on the roles of mid and lower-level cadres limit access to effective contraceptive methods in many settings. Task sharing and task shifting are strategies that can be adopted to increase uptake of health services including family planning. <strong>Methods:</strong> We collected data through online survey, key informant interviews and focused grouped discussions with an intervention group and that implemented the task sharing and task shifting policy guidelines and a control group that did not implement the policy. A total of 434 questionnaires were filled by health workers’ in primary health care facilities to assess effectiveness of task sharing and task shifting on the uptake of family planning services including its strengths and challenges. The questionnaire was designed with the aim of getting data on services provided by the cadres on effectiveness (number of clients, increase in use of methods, access to services), how they perceive these tasks, the bottlenecks and facilitating factors associated with the practice of task sharing and task shifting. <strong>Results:</strong> We found out that the task sharing and task shifting can expand and increase access to services as stated by 95% of the respondents. Most community health workers provided more of the family planning services at 45% with only 5% of the services of family planning being provided by medical officers. 98% of family planning services were integrated with other services. Task shifting was beneficial to the health care providers as well as the clients and the success of task sharing and task shifting depended on training, supportive supervision and a regulated environment through policies. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study shows that formalized task sharing and task shifting can increase health service uptake especially when community health workers are involved to provide services in the展开更多
AIM: To assess the capacity and resources of eye care facilities, using the WHO Health Systems Framework, to manage diabetic retinopathy(DR) through task sharing.METHODS: Using purposive sampling, four participants(ad...AIM: To assess the capacity and resources of eye care facilities, using the WHO Health Systems Framework, to manage diabetic retinopathy(DR) through task sharing.METHODS: Using purposive sampling, four participants(administrators) from four selected hospitals in two provinces in Pakistan were recruited for this cross-sectional study. A survey, to assess the capacity and resources of the selected eye care facilities for the feasibility to adopt task sharing in management of DR to prevent vision loss, was emailed to participants who were asked to complete. Responses to open-ended questions were entered into a Microsoft Excel spread sheet and inductive approach was applied for analysis.RESULTS: All the surveyed eye care facilities offer eye care services for people with diabetes and DR. All surveyed eye care facilities have a shortage in the number of human resources across all cadres. Optometrists and mid-level eye care workers did not have active roles in DR screening and management in all four hospitals. All the hospitals surveyed did not have a computerized record management system for patients who visit ophthalmologists for eye examinations. Equipment for detection and management of DR were short in number and main users were ophthalmologists. There was no policy for population-based screening program for detection of DR in any of the surveyed hospitals.CONCLUSION: A system-based approach to manage DR is needed. The capacity of eye care facilities and the potential to improve access of people with diabetes to eyecare services can be enhanced through implementation of task sharing.展开更多
The continuously increasing demands on botanic gardens during the last few decades have led to a huge in increase administration and an urgent need for additional specialized personnel,especially botanists,teachers,da...The continuously increasing demands on botanic gardens during the last few decades have led to a huge in increase administration and an urgent need for additional specialized personnel,especially botanists,teachers,database specialists and administrative staff.Instead of meeting these requirements,many botanic gardens are faceing a severe decrease in funding and personnel.Larger gardens provide the opportunity to distribute several tasks to different employees,whereas small gardens are short staffed and often run by a single curator who has to fulfill all functions.In order to meet actual demands more easily,the Austrian botanic gardens are linked nationally via an active workgroup.This network not only allows the distribution of information but also facilitates the sharing of duties.A listserver speeds up the communication and correspondence within the workgroup,collection priorities and projects(e.g.,GSPC) are coordinated,seedbanking becomes decentralized,printed matters are shared and distributed,etc.Small gardens with only few employees can participate in projects by taking on small-ideally using with their special resources-in order not to fall behind.In addition,there is also an urgent need for international networking by means of plant and seed exchange(Index Seminum),BGCI membership,discussion groups,personal contacts and projects.Mission statements,special marketing strategies for public relations,integrating projects of other workgroup members and adapted public awareness programs are important to focus attention to small gardens and to help them keep alive.展开更多
AIM： To identify the current roles of eye and health care workers in eye care delivery and investigate their potential roles in screening and detection for management of diabetic retinopathy（DR） through task sharin...AIM： To identify the current roles of eye and health care workers in eye care delivery and investigate their potential roles in screening and detection for management of diabetic retinopathy（DR） through task sharing.METHODS： Purposive sampling of 24 participants including health administrators, members from non-government organizations and all available eye care workers in Takeo province were recruited. This cross sectional mixed method study comprised a survey and in-depth interviews. Data were collected from medical records at Caritas Takeo Eye Hospital（CTEH） and Kiri Vong District Referral Hospital Vision Centre, and a survey and interviews with participants were done to explore the potential roles for task sharing in DR management. Qualitative data were transcribed into a text program and then entered into N-Vivo（version 10） software for data management and analysis. RESULTS： From 2009 to 2012, a total of 105 178 patients were examined and 14 030 eye surgeries were performed in CTEH by three ophthalmologists supported by ophthalmic nurses in operating and eye examination for patients. Between January 2011 and September 2012, 151 patients（72 males） with retinal pathology including 125（83%） with DR visited CTEH. In addition 170 patients with diabetes were referred to CTEH for eye examinations from Mo Po Tsyo screening programs for people with diabetes. Factors favouring task sharing included high demand for eye care services and scarcity of ophthalmologists.CONCLUSION： Task sharing and team work for eye care services is functional. Participants favor the potential role of ophthalmic nurses in screening for DR through task sharing.展开更多
Mental health challenges are a severe issue that could lead to suicide if not properly addressed.South Africa has a significant burden of mental health issues,which contributes to the soaring rate of suicide.Adequate ...Mental health challenges are a severe issue that could lead to suicide if not properly addressed.South Africa has a significant burden of mental health issues,which contributes to the soaring rate of suicide.Adequate mental health-care provision could reduce the high suicide rate in South Africa.Since the apartheid regime,the country has made a series of efforts to improve mental health.This study aimed to review and examine available literature on mental health and suicide issues in South Africa and demonstrate the policy implications.This study adopted a narrative review approach.Electronic databases(PubMed,Scilit,Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar)were used to identify published articles in the English language with crucial search terms that included mental health,South African mental health policy,South Africa,suicide and policy.Literature suggests that at the provincial level,there are no adequate mental health policies,and the implementation of the country’s mental health policy is faced with many challenges,such as a shortage of professionals and finances.The review also showed that task sharing and counselling have been pilot-tested and shown to be effective methods for the prevention of mental illness and promotion of positive mental health.This study concludes that the mental health treatment gap still exists in South Africa,and this needs to be tackled using effective,multi-level counselling interventions and policy initiatives.Adequate mental health-care provision and effective implementation of mental health policy could reduce the high rate of suicide in South Africa.展开更多
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> Contraception is an inexpensive and cost-effective intervention, but health workforce shortages and restrictive policies on the roles of mid and lower-level cadres limit access to effective contraceptive methods in many settings. Task sharing and task shifting are strategies that can be adopted to increase uptake of health services including family planning. <strong>Methods:</strong> We collected data through online survey, key informant interviews and focused grouped discussions with an intervention group and that implemented the task sharing and task shifting policy guidelines and a control group that did not implement the policy. A total of 434 questionnaires were filled by health workers’ in primary health care facilities to assess effectiveness of task sharing and task shifting on the uptake of family planning services including its strengths and challenges. The questionnaire was designed with the aim of getting data on services provided by the cadres on effectiveness (number of clients, increase in use of methods, access to services), how they perceive these tasks, the bottlenecks and facilitating factors associated with the practice of task sharing and task shifting. <strong>Results:</strong> We found out that the task sharing and task shifting can expand and increase access to services as stated by 95% of the respondents. Most community health workers provided more of the family planning services at 45% with only 5% of the services of family planning being provided by medical officers. 98% of family planning services were integrated with other services. Task shifting was beneficial to the health care providers as well as the clients and the success of task sharing and task shifting depended on training, supportive supervision and a regulated environment through policies. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The study shows that formalized task sharing and task shifting can increase health service uptake especially when community health workers are involved to provide services in the
基金Supported by the research from Centre for Eye Research Australia(CERA),Royal Victorian Eye&Ear Hospital,Melbourne,Australia.CERA receives Operational Infrastructure Support from the Victorian Government
文摘AIM: To assess the capacity and resources of eye care facilities, using the WHO Health Systems Framework, to manage diabetic retinopathy(DR) through task sharing.METHODS: Using purposive sampling, four participants(administrators) from four selected hospitals in two provinces in Pakistan were recruited for this cross-sectional study. A survey, to assess the capacity and resources of the selected eye care facilities for the feasibility to adopt task sharing in management of DR to prevent vision loss, was emailed to participants who were asked to complete. Responses to open-ended questions were entered into a Microsoft Excel spread sheet and inductive approach was applied for analysis.RESULTS: All the surveyed eye care facilities offer eye care services for people with diabetes and DR. All surveyed eye care facilities have a shortage in the number of human resources across all cadres. Optometrists and mid-level eye care workers did not have active roles in DR screening and management in all four hospitals. All the hospitals surveyed did not have a computerized record management system for patients who visit ophthalmologists for eye examinations. Equipment for detection and management of DR were short in number and main users were ophthalmologists. There was no policy for population-based screening program for detection of DR in any of the surveyed hospitals.CONCLUSION: A system-based approach to manage DR is needed. The capacity of eye care facilities and the potential to improve access of people with diabetes to eyecare services can be enhanced through implementation of task sharing.
文摘The continuously increasing demands on botanic gardens during the last few decades have led to a huge in increase administration and an urgent need for additional specialized personnel,especially botanists,teachers,database specialists and administrative staff.Instead of meeting these requirements,many botanic gardens are faceing a severe decrease in funding and personnel.Larger gardens provide the opportunity to distribute several tasks to different employees,whereas small gardens are short staffed and often run by a single curator who has to fulfill all functions.In order to meet actual demands more easily,the Austrian botanic gardens are linked nationally via an active workgroup.This network not only allows the distribution of information but also facilitates the sharing of duties.A listserver speeds up the communication and correspondence within the workgroup,collection priorities and projects(e.g.,GSPC) are coordinated,seedbanking becomes decentralized,printed matters are shared and distributed,etc.Small gardens with only few employees can participate in projects by taking on small-ideally using with their special resources-in order not to fall behind.In addition,there is also an urgent need for international networking by means of plant and seed exchange(Index Seminum),BGCI membership,discussion groups,personal contacts and projects.Mission statements,special marketing strategies for public relations,integrating projects of other workgroup members and adapted public awareness programs are important to focus attention to small gardens and to help them keep alive.
基金Supported by the Centre for Eye Research Austral(CERA),Royal Victorian Eye&Ear Hospital,MelbourneCERA receives Operational Infrastructure Support from the Victorian Government
文摘AIM： To identify the current roles of eye and health care workers in eye care delivery and investigate their potential roles in screening and detection for management of diabetic retinopathy（DR） through task sharing.METHODS： Purposive sampling of 24 participants including health administrators, members from non-government organizations and all available eye care workers in Takeo province were recruited. This cross sectional mixed method study comprised a survey and in-depth interviews. Data were collected from medical records at Caritas Takeo Eye Hospital（CTEH） and Kiri Vong District Referral Hospital Vision Centre, and a survey and interviews with participants were done to explore the potential roles for task sharing in DR management. Qualitative data were transcribed into a text program and then entered into N-Vivo（version 10） software for data management and analysis. RESULTS： From 2009 to 2012, a total of 105 178 patients were examined and 14 030 eye surgeries were performed in CTEH by three ophthalmologists supported by ophthalmic nurses in operating and eye examination for patients. Between January 2011 and September 2012, 151 patients（72 males） with retinal pathology including 125（83%） with DR visited CTEH. In addition 170 patients with diabetes were referred to CTEH for eye examinations from Mo Po Tsyo screening programs for people with diabetes. Factors favouring task sharing included high demand for eye care services and scarcity of ophthalmologists.CONCLUSION： Task sharing and team work for eye care services is functional. Participants favor the potential role of ophthalmic nurses in screening for DR through task sharing.
文摘Mental health challenges are a severe issue that could lead to suicide if not properly addressed.South Africa has a significant burden of mental health issues,which contributes to the soaring rate of suicide.Adequate mental health-care provision could reduce the high suicide rate in South Africa.Since the apartheid regime,the country has made a series of efforts to improve mental health.This study aimed to review and examine available literature on mental health and suicide issues in South Africa and demonstrate the policy implications.This study adopted a narrative review approach.Electronic databases(PubMed,Scilit,Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar)were used to identify published articles in the English language with crucial search terms that included mental health,South African mental health policy,South Africa,suicide and policy.Literature suggests that at the provincial level,there are no adequate mental health policies,and the implementation of the country’s mental health policy is faced with many challenges,such as a shortage of professionals and finances.The review also showed that task sharing and counselling have been pilot-tested and shown to be effective methods for the prevention of mental illness and promotion of positive mental health.This study concludes that the mental health treatment gap still exists in South Africa,and this needs to be tackled using effective,multi-level counselling interventions and policy initiatives.Adequate mental health-care provision and effective implementation of mental health policy could reduce the high rate of suicide in South Africa.
