Fidelity of HIV programme implementation by community health workers in rural Mopani district, South Africa: a community survey.

BACKGROUND: South Africa has implemented a community health programme delivered by community health workers (CHWs) to strengthen primary healthcare services. Provision of community Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) services constitutes an important component of this programme. To support effectiveness, we assessed fidelity of HIV programme implementation by CHWs from the community's perspective in a rural South African setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting 900 randomly selected households in twelve wards of two sub-districts (Greater Giyani and Greater Letaba) of Mopani District (Limpopo Province, South Africa). Questionnaires were administered to the traditionally most appropriate adult member of the household. Included were questions related to the four standard components to measure implementation fidelity against local guidelines: coverage, frequency, duration and content of HIV programme implementation. RESULTS: Participants were enrolled at 534 households; in most other cases there was nobody or no adult member at home (n = 291). Reported coverage of 55% (141/253) and a frequency of 47% (66/140) were higher in Greater Giyani as compared to Greater Letaba (44%; 122/278 and 29%; 33/112, respectively, p = 0.007 for both comparisons). Coverage was not associated with the distance from the participant's household to the facility (p = 0.93). Duration of programme delivery was reported to be high, where all CHW visits (253/253; 100%) were conducted within the last 6 months and the content delivered was adequate (242/253; 96%). Individuals reporting a CHW visit were more likely to know their HIV status than those not visited (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.06-3.8; p = 0.032). Among those visited by the CHW discussion of HIV was associated with knowing the HIV status (OR = 2.2; 95% CI 1.02-4.6; p = 0.044); in particular for women (OR = 2.9; 95% CI 1.5-5.4; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates promising HIV programme implementation fidelity by CHWs in rural South Africa. Programme coverage and frequency should be improved whilst maintaining the good levels of duration and content. Resource investment, strengthening of operational structure, and research to identify other facilitators of programme implementation are warranted to improve programme effectiveness and impact.

Causes of stillbirths at Kgapane hospital, Limpopo province.

BACKGROUND:  Stillbirths are a global public health challenge, predominantly affecting low- and middle-income countries. The causes of most stillbirths are preventable. OBJECTIVES:  this study reviewed perinatal clinical audit data from Kgapane Hospital over a 4-year period with a special focus on the factors associated with stillbirths. METHODS:  File audits were done for all stillbirths occurring at Kgapane Hospital and its catchment area from 2018 to 2021. The data from these audits were analysed to identify factors associated with stillbirths. RESULTS:  A total of 392 stillbirths occurred during the study period at Kgapane Hospital and its surrounding clinics, resulting in a stillborn rate of 19.06/1000 births. Of the 392 stillbirths recorded, audits were conducted on 354 of the maternal case records. The five most common causes of stillbirths identified were: hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) (29.7%), intrauterine growth restriction without HDP (11.6%), birth asphyxia (7.1%), premature labour ( 1000 g) (6.5%) and maternal infections (5.9%) including HIV with unsuppressed VL, intrauterine infection, coronavirus disease (COVID) and syphilis. Modifiable factors that can form the basis of improvement strategies should include training, timeous referral, plus improved resources and staffing. CONCLUSION:  Understanding the causes of stillbirths can guide improvement strategies to reduce this heart-breaking complication of pregnancy.Contribution: Family physicians working in rural hospitals are also responsible for perinatal care. Understanding the factors associated with stillbirths will guide them to develop improvement strategies to reduce these preventable deaths.

Mastering your fellowship: Part 3, 2024.

The series 'Mastering your Fellowship' provides examples of the question formats encountered in the written and clinical examinations, Part A of the Fellowship of the College of Family Physicians of South Africa (FCFP [SA]) examination. The series aims to help family medicine registrars (and supervisors) prepare for this examination.

Family physicians and the big question: A universal income grant for South Africa?

No abstract available.

Neonatal death audits at Kgapane Hospital, Limpopo province.

BACKGROUND:  Neonatal deaths (NNDs) are a global public health challenge, predominantly affecting low- and middle-income countries. The causes of most NNDs are preventable. Therefore, this study reviewed perinatal clinical audit data at Kgapane Hospital over a 4-year period with a special focus on the factors associated with NNDs. METHODS:  File audits were performed for all NNDs occurring at Kgapane Hospital and its catchment area from 2018 to 2021. The data from these audits were analysed to identify factors associated with NNDs. RESULTS:  The NND rate for the study period was 12.6/1000 live births. In this study (n = 236), 90% of the deaths could be associated with four factors, namely prematurity (44%); intrapartum complications (19%) including asphyxia, meconium aspiration and breech deliveries; neonatal infections (16%) of which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity was the most prevalent; and foetal congenital abnormalities (11%). The modifiable factors included inadequate intrapartum foetal monitoring; delays in management interventions; instances where no attempts were made to refer patients for specialised care, or where no beds were available at the next level of care; patient-related factors; and inadequate adherence to management protocols, such as for the management of prematurity and HIV. CONCLUSION:  Understanding factors associated with NNDs can guide health worker training and improvement strategies to reduce this heart-breaking complication of pregnancy.Contribution: Family physicians working in rural hospitals are also responsible for newborn care. Understanding the factors associated with NNDs will guide them to focus training and develop improvement strategies to reduce these preventable deaths.

Mastering Your fellowship: Part 4, 2023.

The 'Mastering your Fellowship' series provides examples of the question format encountered in the written and clinical examinations, Part A of the Fellowship of the College of Family Physicians of South Africa (FCFP [SA]) examination. The series is aimed at helping family medicine registrars prepare for this examination.

Occupational burnout among doctors at Mankweng and Pietersburg hospitals, Limpopo province.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of occupational burnout among full-time employed doctors of all ranks at the Mankweng and Pietersburg tertiary academic hospitals in South Africa's Limpopo province. METHODS: A quantitative, observational study was conducted firstly to determine whether burnout was present among medical doctors at these institutions and, secondly, to quantify the amount of burnout in those affected. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. All ranks of medical doctors from various departments participated in the study, resulting in a total sample size of 150. RESULTS: The study revealed that occupational burnout was present at these institutions, with an overall prevalence of 36%. When compared to other studies conducted at public sector hospitals in South Africa, this figure appears to fall within the middle range. However, different studies have used different criteria to measure burnout. CONCLUSION: Currently, there is too much variation in the criteria of burnout among different studies, making comparisons difficult. More studies are needed to standardise the measurement of burnout.Contribution: The main contribution of the research is to understand the extent of burnout at the tertiary hospital in Limpopo province.

Male attitudes towards family planning in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Women often do not receive support from their partners with regards to family planning (FP), which can lead to hesitancy and inconsistent use. This study sought to understand the male attitudes that contribute to this. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in 2019 using focus group discussions (FGDs) with purposively selected men aged ≥ 25 years and in a relationship with a woman of childbearing age. An open-ended question guide was used to explore men's perceptions regarding FP. The discussions were recorded, translated and transcribed verbatim, whereafter transcripts were coded and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Three major themes were identified, namely: (1) the advantages of FP, including financial benefits and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy; (2) the disadvantages of FP, including perceived adverse effects on men and women, as well as marital difficulties; and (3) the exclusion of men from FP by health workers and their partners. CONCLUSION: Men felt ambivalent towards FP. They were aware of the benefits thereof, but were hesitant to allow their female partners to use contraceptives, because of several misconceptions about the adverse effects. This underscores the need to involve men in FP programmes.

Mastering your fellowship: Part 1, 2022.

The series, 'Mastering your Fellowship', provides examples of the different question formats encountered in the written and clinical examinations, that is, Part A of the Fellowship of the College of Family Physicians South Africa (FCFP SA) examination. The series is aimed at helping family medicine registrars (and their supervisors) prepare for this examination.

The attitude and perceptions of doctors at Letaba Hospital towards family medicine: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: It was noted that family medicine (FM) was not used properly by doctors at Letaba Hospital. Anecdotally, misconceptions and misunderstandings about FM were reported. An exploration was recommended to understand the perceptions and attitudes of doctors at Letaba Hospital with regard to FM. Identifying doctors' misconceptions and the possible reasons for mistaken beliefs about FM by other specialists could offer possible solutions. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted that attempted to identify the perceptions of doctors about FM and to explore their attitudes towards this specialty. RESULTS: The primary findings indicate more positive than negative perceptions of other disciplines towards FM. The participants viewed FM as the centre of the healthcare system, with prevention being its core business. This includes a holistic approach, the continuity of care, being community-based, and receiving recognition as a specialty. Family medicine was described by various medical personnel as making a positive contribution to the healthcare system. They note the role of FM discipline in district hospitals, its support of primary health- care and its ability to fill the gaps in the healthcare system, including surgical skills. The few negative perceptions that were identified mostly related to the status of FM as a specialty and doctors' level of surgical ability. Based on individual interviews, 11 themes were extracted and a 'wheel' model was created, depicting the core values of the FM discipline. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that most participants have a positive perception of the role of FM, similar to the views of the senior staff in the discipline itself. The concerns from most participants are in the area of preventative medicine, which has not been given enough priority in South Africa and where doctors are expected to rapidly attend to long queues and manage casualties. There was also concern of a perceived lack of surgical skills.

Contextual factors affecting the integration of community health workers into the health system in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Community health workers (CHWs) are an essential cadre in the health systems of many low- and middle-income countries. These workers provide a wide variety of services and are key to ongoing processes of task shifting within human immunodeficiency virus programmes in particular. Ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs) are South Africa's latest iteration of the CHW programme and have been introduced as part of the National Department of Health's Primary Health Care Re-engineering programme. METHODS: In order to assess the perceived effectiveness of the WBOTs in supporting the ongoing rollout of antiretroviral therapy, tuberculosis care and patient support, we conducted a qualitative investigation focusing on the perceived successes and challenges of the programme among CHWs, community leaders, healthcare workers and community members in the Mopani district, Limpopo province, South Africa. RESULTS: The CHW programme operates across these contexts, each associated with its own set of challenges and opportunities. CONCLUSIONS: While these challenges may be interrelated, a contextual analysis provides a useful means of understanding the programme's implementation as part of ongoing decision-making processes.

Clinical mentoring to improve quality of care provided at three NIM-ART facilities: A mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: The South African Department of Health implemented the nurse-initiated management of antiretroviral treatment (NIM-ART) programme as a policy to decentralise services. Increasing access to ART through nurse initiation results in significant consequences. AIM: This study evaluated the quality of care provided, the barriers to the effective rollout of antiretroviral services and the role of a clinical mentor. SETTING: The study was conducted at three NIM-ART facilities in South Africa. One clinic provided a high standard of care, one had a high defaulter rate, and at the third clinic, treatment failures were missed, and routine bloods were not collected. METHODS: A mixed methods study design was used. Data were collected using patient satisfaction surveys, review of clinical records, facility audits, focus group interviews, field notes and a reflection diary. RESULTS: NIM-ART nurses prescribed rationally and followed antiretroviral guidelines.Mortality rates and loss to follow-up rates were lower than those at the surrounding hospitals, and 91.1% of nurse-monitored patients had an undetectable viral load after a year. The quality of care provided was comparable to doctor-monitored care. The facility audits found recurrent shortages of essential drugs. Patients indicated a high level of satisfaction. Salary challenges,excessive workload, a lack of trained nurses and infrastructural barriers were identified as barriers. On-going mentoring and support by a clinical mentor strengthened each of the facilities, facilitated quality improvement and stimulated health workers to address constraints. CONCLUSION: Clinical mentors are the key to addressing institutional treatment barriers and ensuring quality of patient care.

Qualitative assessment of facilitators and barriers to HIV programme implementation by community health workers in Mopani district, South Africa.

South Africa has implemented a community-based HIV programme (CBHP) in its primary healthcare (PHC) re-engineering strategy that aims to improve public healthcare delivery. This CBHP is delivered by ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs); provision of community HIV services comprises an important component of this programme. We conducted an exploratory study to determine the facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of this CBHP in rural Mopani District, South Africa. Focus group discussions were conducted with the community health workers (CHWs) and PHC nurses; participant interviews were conducted with community members who access these health services, community leaders, and social workers. We conducted a thematic content analysis and based on the key themes reported, we identified the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, consisting of five domains, as the most appropriate model to interpret our findings. First, in terms of intervention characteristics, community members generally valued the HIV services provided, but the variable needs impacted on programme implementation. Outer setting challenges include inability to meet the need of patients as a result of stigma, non-disclosure of HIV status and social factors. In terms of the inner setting, CHWs were grateful for the equipment and training received but expressed the need for better support of management and the provision of additional resources. With regard to characteristics of the implementers, the CHWs expressed the desire for further training despite reporting having sufficient knowledge to conduct their HIV work. Finally, in terms of the implementation process, the importance of relationship building between CHWs and community members was emphasised. In conclusion, these data underline the positive receipt and potential of the CBHP in this rural district and identify areas to further strengthen the programme. The success and sustainability of the CBHP requires ongoing commitment of resources, training, supervision, and organisational support in order to operate effectively and efficiently.

Making ward-based outreach teams an effective component of human immunodeficiency virus programmes in South Africa.

The implementation of ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs), comprised of community health workers (CHWs), is one of the three interventions of the South African National Department of Health's (NDoH) Primary Health Care (PHC) Re-engineering strategy for improving health outcomes. CHWs provide a necessary structure to contribute to successful implementation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) programme in four ways: (1) prevention of HIV infection by health education, (2) linkage to care by health education and referrals, (3) adherence support and (4) identification of individuals who are failing treatment. However, CHW programme and HIV programme-specific barriers exist that need to be resolved in order to achieve maximum impact. These include a lack of stakeholder and community support for WBOTs, challenging work and operational environments, a lack of in-depth knowledge and skills, and socio-cultural barriers such as HIV-related stigma. Considering its promising structure, documentation of the WBOT contribution to healthcare overall, and the HIV programme in particular, is urgently warranted to successfully and sustainably incorporate it into the South African healthcare system.

Assessment of self-reported adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes in Matlala District Hospital, Limpopo Province.

INTRODUCTION: Complications associated with Diabetes Mellitus are a burden to health services, especially in resource poor settings. These complications are associated with substandard care and poor adherence to treatment plans. The aim of the study was to assess the self-reported adherence to treatment amongst patients with type 2 diabetes in Matlala District Hospital, Limpopo Province. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling with a standardised, validated questionnaire. Data were collected over 4 months, and Microsoft Excel was used for data capturing. RESULTS: We found that 137 (70%) of the participants considered themselves adherent to their diabetes medication. Younger age (p = 0.028), current employment (p = 0.018) and keeping appointment were factors significantly associated with adherence. Reasons given for poor adherence were that the clinic did not have their pills (29%), they had forgotten to take their medication (16%) and gone travelling without taking enough pills (14%). Reasons given for poor adherences to a healthy lifestyle were being too old (29%), 22% had no specific reason, 13% struggled to motivate themselves and 10% simply forgot what to do. Sixty-eight percent of the adhered participants recommended the use of medication at meal times, 14% set a reminder, and 8% used the assistance of a treatment supporter. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The study revealed a higher than expected reported level of adherence to diabetes treatment. Further research is needed to assess whether self-reported adherence corresponds to the metabolic control of the patients and to improve services.

How to use participatory action research in primary care.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the article is to demonstrate the usefulness of participatory action research (PAR) in primary care. The author used PAR firstly to develop a deeper understanding of mutual participation in the doctor-patient encounter and secondly to apply this learning in a rural cross-cultural practice setting. METHOD: PAR was done with four patient groups. Four patients with terminal illnesses formed groups with their family members, neighbours and friends. Seven meetings were held with each group over a period of 6 months. The meetings were conducted in Tsonga, which is the local vernacular. All the meetings were audio-taped. The primary question for each meeting was how the group could work together to achieve the best possible health outcome for the patient. Additionally, the author, who facilitated the meetings, kept a reflective diary, including field notes over the research period. One member of each group kept a written record of each meeting. Three free attitude interviews were conducted with the author over the research period to elicit the development of his understanding about mutual participation in the doctor-patient encounter. The recorded meetings and interviews were transcribed and translated and themes subsequently identified using the transcripts. The reflective diary was analysed similarly. A model was constructed to depict the themes and their interrelatedness. The model was interpreted and conclusions were drawn. RESULTS: The PAR process had a positive effect on the doctor-patient encounter. PAR greatly resembles a mutual participatory doctor-patient encounter. The research facilitator had certain basic tenets in order to facilitate participation. The patients who participated actively benefited most. Basic interviewing techniques were used to facilitate the mutual participation in PAR. CONCLUSIONS: PAR is very applicable in primary care. The principles of PAR such as mutual collaboration, reciprocal respect, co-learning and acting on results from the enquiry are essential in the doctor-patient relationship. Self-awareness, the ability to self-critique and reflect in a deep manner using such tools as a reflective diary are essential for nurturing the development of effective primary health care workers and consequently care structures for the patients and their families.