Barriers and enablers to people-centred viral hepatitis care in Vietnam and the Philippines: Results of a patient journey mapping study.

In Vietnam and the Philippines, viral hepatitis is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. This study aims to understand the barriers and enablers of people receiving care for hepatitis B and C to support both countries' efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Retrospective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive, quota-based sample of 63 people living with hepatitis B or C in one province of Vietnam and one region of the Philippines. A rapid deductive approach to thematic analysis produced key findings among the three phases of care: (1) pre-awareness and testing, (2) linkage and treatment initiation and (3) ongoing treatment and recovery. The research found that participants followed five typical journeys, from a variety of entry points. Barriers during the pre-awareness and testing phase included limited awareness about hepatitis and its management, stigma and psychological impacts. Enablers included being familiar with the health system and/or patients benefiting from social connections within the health systems. During the linkage and treatment initiation phase, barriers included difficult physical access, complex navigation and inadequate counselling. In this phase, family support emerged as a critical enabler. During the ongoing treatment and recovery phase, the cost of care and socially and culturally informed perceptions of the disease and medication use were both barriers and enablers. Exploring peoples' journeys with hepatitis B and C in Vietnam and the Philippines revealed many similarities despite the different cultural and health system contexts. Insights from this study may help generate a contextualized, people-centred evidence base to inform the design and improvement of primary care services for hepatitis in both research sites.

Embedding viral hepatitis into primary healthcare: results of a strategic landscape analysis in Vietnam and the Philippines.

Chronic viral hepatitis is a significant public health concern in the Western Pacific, including in Vietnam and the Philippines. To accelerate progress toward meeting the 2030 elimination goals, the World Health Organization (WHO) encourages countries to adopt an integrated, people-centered health sector response to hepatitis, grounded in Primary Health Care (PHC). A review of the academic and grey literature, along with policy documents, was conducted to describe the national health system and PHC response to hepatitis B and C in Vietnam and the Philippines. Information was analyzed against the four strategic levers of the WHO Operational Framework for PHC to identify challenges and opportunities. The findings suggest that both countries have relatively robust policy frameworks, with some room for improvement. Vietnam may have stronger political commitment and funding than the Philippines, while the Philippines appears to be stronger in community engagement. Both countries share challenges and opportunities for learning to actualize viral hepatitis elimination utilizing a PHC approach.

Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of mCME Version 2.0: An SMS-Based Continuing Medical Education Program for HIV Clinicians in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: The Mobile Continuing Medical Education (mCME) 2.0 project was a randomized controlled trial that found that a 6-month text message-based CME intervention improved both the use of online medical training resources and medical knowledge among a cadre of HIV clinicians in Vietnam. This companion study analyzed intervention costs and cost-effectiveness. METHODS: We conducted (1) a financial analysis based on costs incurred during the trial's planning and implementation; (2) an economic analysis to consider resource utilization; and (3) cost-effectiveness analyses to estimate cost inputs relative to impact: increase in self-study (measured by visits to online courses) and increase in knowledge (measured by exam score improvement) (in 2016 US$). Finally, we estimated the economic cost of a 9-month national program and a 10-year scaled-up model (in 2021 US$). RESULTS: The total financial cost of the intervention was US$49,552; the main cost drivers were personnel time (71.4%) and technology inputs (14.9%). The total economic cost was estimated at US$92,212, with the same key cost inputs (representing 77.7% and 8.0%, respectively, of total costs). The financial cost per 10% increase in accessing online courses was US$923, while the cost of improving knowledge, measured by a 10% improvement in mean exam score across the study population, was US$32,057 (US$605 per intervention clinician). The comparable total economic cost of each improvement, respectively, was US$1,770 and US$61,452 (US$1,159 per intervention clinician). A future 9-month national program was estimated to cost US$37,403, while the full 10-year scaled-up program was estimated at US$196,446. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis indicates that leveraging mobile technology could be a feasible way to provide distance learning to health professions across Vietnam at a relatively low cost. Given the need for practical ways to expand CME in resource-constrained regions of the world, this approach warrants further study and possible adoption.

Unpacking the "Black Box": How an SMS-Based Continuing Medical Education Intervention Improved Medical Knowledge Among HIV Clinicians in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: A mobile-based continuing medical education (mCME) intervention implemented over 6 months between 2016 and 2017, consisting of daily SMS multiple choice quizzes and access to online daily readings and CME courses, was shown to be effective in increasing medical knowledge among HIV providers in Vietnam. We hypothesized this improvement was a result of "lateral learning," a process in which the daily SMS quizzes acted as a stimulus for interacting with other study materials. METHODS: We explored how study materials directly provided by the intervention-the daily readings and the online CME courses-and independent study behaviors, such as using medical textbooks and reviewing national guidelines, contributed to medical knowledge as measured by baseline and endline exams. At baseline, there were 53 participants each in the intervention and control groups (N=106). Using linear regression models, we estimated the association between intervention-prompted and independent study behaviors and endline test scores. We also conducted a series of interaction analyses to test the extent to which the effect of daily quiz performance on endline test scores depended on use of the intervention-prompted or independent study materials. Finally, we estimated the proportion of variance in endline test scores explained by each of the intervention-prompted behaviors. RESULTS: The average medical knowledge test score among all participants was 46% at baseline and 54% at endline. Among the intervention group, 82% of the daily quizzes were answered, although only about half were answered correctly. Responding to the daily quizzes (ß=0.24; P=.05), quiz performance (ß=0.42; P<.001), and accessing daily readings (ß=0.22; P=.06) were statistically significantly associated with higher endline test scores. While accessing the online CME courses and some of the independent study behaviors, such as use of medical textbooks, had positive associations with endline test scores, none reached statistical significance. Quiz performance explained 51% of the variation in endline test scores. Interaction analysis found that quiz performance had a stronger, but not statistically significant, association with endline test scores when both daily readings (ß=0.87; P=.08) and online CME courses (ß=0.25; P=.09) were accessed more frequently. CONCLUSION: In mCME interventions, daily SMS quizzes can effectively act as a stimulus for uptake of study behaviors when paired with access to relevant readings and online courses. While further investigation is needed to more fully understand the role of outside study materials, we believe this model has the potential for further use in Vietnam and other low-resource settings.

Benefits and Limitations of Text Messages to Stimulate Higher Learning Among Community Providers: Participants' Views of an mHealth Intervention to Support Continuing Medical Education in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2015 to evaluate a mobile continuing medical education (mCME) intervention that provided daily text messages to community-based physicians' assistants (CBPAs) in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. Although the intervention failed to improve medical knowledge over a 6-month period, a companion qualitative study provided insights on the views and experiences of intervention participants. METHODS: We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) among participants randomized to receive text messages containing either simple medical facts or quiz questions. Trained interviewers collected data immediately following the conclusion of the trial in December 2015. Using semi-structured question guides, respondents were queried on their views of the intervention, positive and negative, and perceived impacts of the intervention. During analysis, after learning that the intervention had failed to increase knowledge among participants, we also examined reasons for lack of improvement in medical knowledge. All analyses were performed in NVivo using a thematic approach. RESULTS: A total of 70 CBPAs engaged in one of 8 FGDs or an IDI. One-half were men; average age among all respondents was 40 years. Most (81%) practiced in rural settings and most (51%) focused on general medicine. The mean length of work experience was 3 years. All respondents made positive comments about the intervention; convenience, relevance, and quick feedback (quiz format) were praised. Downsides encompassed lack of depth of information, weak interaction, technology challenges, and challenging/irrelevant messages. Respondents described perceived impacts encompassing increased motivation, knowledge, collegial discussions, Internet use to search for more information, and clinical skills. Overall, they expressed a desire for the intervention to continue and recommended expansion to other medical professionals. Overreliance on the text messages, lack of effective self-study, and technical/language-based barriers may be potential explanations for intervention failure. CONCLUSION: As a form of mCME, daily text messages were well-received by community-level health care providers in Vietnam. This mCME approach appears very promising in low-resource environments or where traditional forms of CME are impractical. Future models might consider enhancements to foster linkages to relevant medical materials, improve interaction with medical experts, and tailor medical content to the daily activities of medical staff.