On-demand mobile hypertension training for primary health care workers in Nigeria: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Only one out of every ten Nigerian adults with hypertension has their blood pressure controlled. Health worker training is essential to improve hypertension diagnosis and treatment. In-person training has limitations that mobile, on-demand training might address. This pilot study evaluated a self-paced, case-based, mobile-optimized online training to diagnose and manage hypertension for Nigerian health workers. METHODS: Twelve hypertension training modules were developed, based on World Health Organization and Nigerian guidelines. After review by local academic and government partners, the course was piloted by Nigerian health workers at government-owned primary health centers. Primary care physician, nurse, and community health worker participants completed the course on their own smartphones. Before and after the course, hypertension knowledge was evaluated with multiple-choice questions. Learners provided feedback by responding to questions on a Likert scale. RESULTS: Out of 748 users who sampled the course, 574 enrolled, of whom 431 (75%) completed the course. The average pre-test score of completers was 65.4%, which increased to 78.2% on the post-test (P < 0.001, paired t-test). Health workers who were not part of existing hypertension control programs had lower pre-test scores and larger score gains. Most participants (96.1%) agreed that the training was applicable to their work, and nearly all (99.8%) agreed that they enjoyed the training. CONCLUSIONS: An on-demand mobile digital hypertension training increases knowledge of hypertension management among Nigerian health workers. If offered at scale, such courses can be a tool to build health workforce capacity through initial and refresher training on current clinical guidelines in hypertension and other chronic diseases in Nigeria as well as other countries.

Physicians' perception of task sharing with non-physician health care workers in the management of uncomplicated hypertension in Nigeria: A mixed method study.

INTRODUCTION: Task sharing and task shifting (TSTS) in the management of hypertension is an important strategy to reduce the burden of hypertension in low-and middle-income countries like Nigeria where there is shortage of physicians below the World Health Organization's recommendations on doctor-patient ratio. The cooperation of physicians is critical to the success of this strategy. We assessed physicians' perception of TSTS with non-physician health workers in the management of hypertension and sought recommendations to facilitate the implementation of TSTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an explanatory sequential mixed method study. TSTS perception was assessed quantitatively using a 12-item questionnaire with each item assigned a score on a 5-point Likert scale. The maximum obtainable score was 60 points and those with ≥42 points were classified as having a good perception of TSTS. Twenty physicians were subsequently interviewed for in-depth exploration of their perception of TSTS. RESULTS: A total of 1250 physicians participated in the quantitative aspect of the study. Among the participants, 56.6% had good perception of TSTS in the management of hypertension while about two-thirds (67.5%) agreed that TSTS program in the management of hypertension could be successfully implemented in Nigeria. Male gender (p = 0.019) and working in clinical settings (p = 0.039) were associated with good perception. Twenty physicians participated in the qualitative part of the study. Qualitative analysis showed that TSTS will improve overall care and outcomes of patients with hypertension, reduce physicians' workload, improve their productivity, but may encourage inter-professional rivalry. Wide consultation with stakeholders, adequate monitoring and evaluation will facilitate successful implementation of TSTS in Nigeria. CONCLUSION: This study showed that more than half of the physicians have good perception of TSTS in hypertension management while about two-thirds agreed that it could be successfully implemented in Nigeria. This study provides the needed evidence for increased advocacy for the implementation of TSTS in the management of hypertension in Nigeria. This will consequently result in improved patient care and outcomes and effective utilization of available health care personnel.

Landscape of team-based care to manage hypertension: results from two surveys in low/middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVES: Team-based care is essential for improving hypertension outcomes in low-resource settings. We assessed perceptions of country representatives and healthcare workers (HCWs) on team-based hypertension care in low/middle-income countries. DESIGN: Two cross-sectional surveys. SETTING: The first survey (Country Profile Survey) was conducted in 17 countries and eight in-country regions: Algeria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Chile, China (Beijing, Henan, Shandong), Cuba, Ethiopia, India (Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Telangana), Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda and Vietnam. The second survey (HCW Survey) was conducted in four countries: Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia and Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: Using convenience sampling, participants for the Country Profile Survey were representatives from 17 countries and eight in-country regions, and the HCW Survey was administered to HCWs in Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia and Nigeria. OUTCOME MEASURES: Country-level use of team-based hypertension care framework, comprising administrative, basic and advanced clinical tasks. Current practices of different HCW cadres, perspectives on team-based management of hypertension, barriers and facilitators. RESULTS: In the Country Profile Survey, all (23/23, 100%) countries/regions surveyed integrated team-based care for basic clinical hypertension management tasks, less for advanced tasks (7/23, 30%). In the HCW Survey, 854 HCWs participated, 47% of whom worked in rural settings. Most HCWs in the sample acknowledged the value of team-based hypertension care. Although there were slight variations by country in the study sample, overall, barriers to team-based hypertension care were identified as inadequate training (83%); regulatory issues (76%); resistance by patients (56%), physicians (42%) and nurses (40%). Facilitators identified were use of treatment algorithms (94%), telehealth/m-health technology (92%) and adequate compensation for HCWs (80%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed key lessons for health systems and governments regarding team-based care implementation. Specifically, policies to facilitate additional training, optimise HCWs' roles within care teams, use of hypertension treatment protocols and telehealth/m-health technology will be essential to promote team-based care.

Person-centred, integrated non-communicable disease and HIV decentralized drug distribution in Eswatini and South Africa: outcomes and challenges.

INTRODUCTION: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are highly prevalent in people living with HIV above 50 years of age and account for increasing mortality. There is little published evidence supporting person-centred, integrated models of HIV care, hypertension and diabetes treatment in southern Africa, and no data demonstrating mortality reduction. Where clinical visits for NCDs and HIV cannot be combined, integrated medication delivery presents an opportunity to streamline care and reduce patient costs. We present experiences of integrated HIV and NCD medication delivery in Eswatini and South Africa, focusing on programme successes and implementation challenges. Programmatic data from Eswatini's Community Health Commodities Distribution (CHCD) from April 2020 to December 2021 and South Africa's Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) from January 2016 to December 2021 were provided by programme managers and are summarized here. DISCUSSION: Launched in 2020, Eswatini's CHCD provides over 28,000 people with and without HIV with integrated services, including HIV testing, CD4 cell count testing, antiretroviral therapy refills, viral load monitoring and pre-exposure prophylaxis alongside NCD services, including blood pressure and glucose monitoring and hypertension and diabetes medication refills.  Communities designate neighbourhood care points and central gathering places for person-centred medication dispensing.  This programme reported fewer missed medication refill appointments among clients in community settings compared to facility-based settings. South Africa's CCMDD utilizes decentralized drug distribution to provide medications for over 2.9 million people, including those living with HIV, hypertension and diabetes.  CCMDD incorporates community-based pickup points, facility "fast lanes" and adherence clubs with public sector health facilities and private sector medication collection units.  There are no out-of-pocket payments for medications or testing commodities.  Wait-times for medication refills are lower at CCMDD sites than facility-based sites.  Innovations to reduce stigma include uniformly labelled medication packages for NCD and HIV medications. CONCLUSIONS: Eswatini and South Africa demonstrate person-centred models for HIV and NCD integration through decentralized drug distribution. This approach adapts medication delivery to serve individual needs and decongest centralized health facilities while efficiently delivering NCD care.  To bolster programme uptake, additional reporting of integrated decentralized drug distribution models should include HIV and NCD outcomes and mortality trends.