The National Health Insurance System of Indonesia and primary care physicians' job satisfaction: a prospective qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The implementation of the National Health Insurance System (NHIS) in Indonesia has been changing the primary care physician (PCP) work condition and their job satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to explore the reasons behind PCPs' satisfaction and dissatisfaction with job satisfaction's aspect under the NHIS reform. METHODS: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study within two areas in Central Java, Indonesia, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 34 PCPs and 19 triangulation sources. We conducted both inductive and deductive analyses by the NVivo 11. RESULTS: Most PCPs felt dissatisfied with the following aspects of the NHIS: referral system, NHIS health services standard, NHIS programmes, performance evaluation and pay-for-performance, relationship with patient and workloads. PCPs felt constrained with the referral regulation and non-specialist diagnoses, which led to dissatisfaction with performance evaluation and the pay-for-performance implementation. Furthermore, an increase in workload and conflict with patients resulted from patients' misunderstanding the NHIS health service procedures. However, PCPs felt satisfied with the chronic disease management programme and patients' appreciation. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents the reasons behind PCPs' satisfaction and dissatisfaction with job satisfaction's aspect under the NHIS reform. There is a need for additional discussion among all stakeholders (Ministry of Health, Social Security Agency for Health/SSAH, primary health care and physician's professional organizations about the non-specialist diagnoses list, performance evaluation and pay-for-performance). The government and SSAH need to improve the communication and socialization of the NHIS procedures/regulations.

In 2014, Indonesia implemented a National Health Insurance System (NHIS). The reform affected the primary care physicians' (PCPs') work conditions and job satisfaction. This qualitative study explored the reasons behind PCPs' satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the job satisfactions' aspect in the NHIS. We interviewed 34 PCPs and 19 triangulation sources in Semarang City and Demak Regency (Central Java). Findings showed that most physicians felt dissatisfied with the NHIS referral system, health services standard, some NHIS programmes, performance evaluation and pay-for-performance, relationship with patients and workload. Mostly, the patients­PCPs' conflicts were due to the misunderstanding of the NHIS health service procedures. However, the PCPs also received patients' appreciation. For improving the reform implementation and PCPs' job satisfaction, the physicians' concerned, leading to dissatisfaction, must be addressed.

Consensus views on competencies and teaching methods for an interprofessional curriculum on complementary and integrative medicine: A Delphi study.

OBJECTIVE: A collaborative team is necessary to help patients achieve their healthcare goals using complementary medicine. At present, healthcare professionals do not feel sufficiently qualified to provide this service. This study sought to identify competencies and teaching methods for interprofessional training on complementary and integrative medicine at medical schools. METHODS: Sixty-five German-speaking experts with various professional backgrounds were invited to take part in a three-round Delphi study. In the first round, predefined competencies were assessed on a seven-point Likert scale, and participants were invited to propose additional competencies that would be evaluated in the subsequent rounds. The competencies were ranked based on the participant assessments and were assigned to four relevance groups. In the second and third rounds, suitable teaching methods were identified using free-text fields and multiple-choice questions. In a final workshop, participants synthesized the outcomes of the previous sessions and derived key competencies that would be a benefit to undergraduate interprofessional training in complementary and integrative medicine at medical schools. RESULTS: The three rounds plus final worksop were attended by 50, 40, 36 and 11 experts. The competencies that these experts determined to be highly relevant to teaching complementary and integrative medicine emphasized, in particular, the respectful treatment of patients and the importance of taking a medical history. From these highly relevant competencies, three key targets were agreed upon in the final workshop: students are able to 1) classify and assess complementary medical terms and methods; 2) work collaboratively and integrate patients into the interprofessional team; 3) involve patients and their relatives respectfully and empathetically in all healthcare processes. To achieve these competency goals, the following teaching methods were highlighted: students discuss therapy options based on authentic patient cases with each other and practice empathic patient communication incorporating complementary medicine. Further, the theoretical background of complementary medicines could be provided as online-training, to use the class sessions for hands-on exercises and interprofessional exchange and discussion. CONCLUSION: Despite the heterogeneous panel of experts, a consensus was reached on the competency orientation and teaching approaches. The results can promote the implementation of interprofessional training for complementary medicine in undergraduate education.

Attitudes of medical students to general practice: a multinational cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: A shortage of general practitioners (GPs) is common to many European countries. To counteract this, it is essential to understand the factors that encourage or discourage medical students from choosing to become a GP. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate medical students' attitudes towards general practice and to identify factors that discourage them from considering a career as a GP. METHODS: In this multinational cross-sectional online survey, 29 284 students from nine German, four Austrian and two Slovenian universities were invited to answer a questionnaire consisting of 146 closed and 13 open-ended items. RESULTS: Of the 4486 students that responded (response rate: 15.3%), 3.6% wanted to become a GP, 48.1% were undecided and 34.6% did not want to be a GP. Significant predictors for interest in becoming a GP were higher age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.10], positive evaluation of the content of a GP's work (OR = 4.44; 95% CI = 3.26-6.06), organizational aspects (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.13-1.78), practical experience of general practice (OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.08-2.56) and the country of the survey [Slovenian versus German students (Reference): OR = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.10-4.38; Austrian versus German students (Reference): OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.32-0.79]. CONCLUSION: Strategies to convince undecided students to opt for a career as a GP should include a positive representation of a GP's work and early and repeated experience of working in a general practice during medical school.

Role competencies in interprofessional undergraduate education in complementary and integrative medicine: A Delphi study.

OBJECTIVES: Physicians and other health professionals like nurses, physiotherapists and midwives should be prepared to work in a patient-centred and team-based manner through appropriate interprofessional training. This includes consideration of patients' preferences for complementary treatment methods, as well as reflection of one's own professional role and that of the others. The CanMEDS Physician Competency Framework is an established instrument that describes the competencies of health professionals in seven roles. We investigated which role competencies should be addressed in an undergraduate interprofessional curriculum on Complementary and Integrative Medicine. DESIGN: In a Delphi study, an interprofessional expert group evaluated the relevance of the CanMEDS role competencies (n = 49) and the respective individual competencies (n = 30) on a seven-point Likert scale. For analysis, we assigned the competencies according to the ratings, to four groups of relevance (consensus: >80 %) and compared the proportions of individual competencies classified as relevant within the seven role competencies. RESULTS: The role Medical Expert was rated as highly relevant for all individual competencies. For the roles Professional, Collaborator, Communicator and Scholar, all or most individual competencies were rated at least as relevant. For the roles Leader or Health Advocate all individual competencies were rated as not relevant. CONCLUSIONS: In order to improve healthcare including complementary treatment options, it is initially of great importance to impart expert and communication skills in undergraduate interprofessional training in addition to improving teamwork. The acquisition of management and consulting skills could only be given priority in a later phase of training.

Findings from a three-round Delphi study: essential topics for interprofessional training on complementary and integrative medicine.

BACKGROUND: Integrating complementary medicine into medical care promotes patient-oriented care. A well-informed and collaborative professional healthcare team is essential for effective and patient-safe implementation of these methods. At present, the skills for patient counseling, therapy and care regarding complementary medicine vary among the professional groups involved. Professionals generally feel that they are not sufficiently qualified in this area. Curricular concepts for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) are virtually non-existent in undergraduate interprofessional training. The aim of this study is to initiate a consensus-building process between various experts (professionals, students, patient and faculty representatives) in order to identify which topics should be the focus of such a curriculum. METHODS: A three-round Delphi study was carried out from March 2018 to March 2019 to compile the experience and knowledge of experts in the field of integrative patient care and interprofessional education. Sixty-five experts from Germany and German-speaking Switzerland with various professional backgrounds and experiences were asked to name general content, therapy methods and treatment reasons which should be addressed in interprofessional seminars. In the subsequent rounds these were rated on a seven-point Likert scale. The ratings were assigned to relevance groups and discussed in a final workshop in July 2019. RESULTS: The response rates for the three rounds were 76% (n = 50), 80% (n = 40) 90% (n = 36); and 21% (n = 11) for the final workshop. The experts suggested that topics could be aligned along the most common treatment reasons such as insomnia, generalized pain, fatigue and back pain. However, it is important that students also receive an overview of the evidence base for different therapeutic concepts, especially in the field of classical natural medicine, acupuncture and mind-body medicine, and that they get an overview of the effects and interactions of frequently used procedures. CONCLUSION: Consensus was reached among the various experts on the most important topics for an interprofessional CIM curriculum. The systematic evaluation of the topics in this study can help to create a curriculum that achieves a high level of acceptance among teachers, lecturers and students, and thus facilitates implementation at universities and medical faculties.

[Scoping review of the effectiveness of screen-to-screen-therapy compared to face-to-face-therapy on naming performance for patients with aphasia]. / Scoping Review über die Wirksamkeit einer Screen-to-Screen-Therapie im Vergleich zu einer Face-to-Face-Therapie bei Patient*innen mit Aphasie auf die Benennleistungen.

INTRODUCTION: About 35,000 people in Germany suffered from stroke-related aphasia in 2019. One of the most frequent manifestations of aphasia are word finding disorders. In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the temporary approval of video therapy enables the maintenance of speech therapy treatment. This leads to the necessity to investigate the effectiveness of screen-to-screen therapy via a video conferencing system compared to conventional face-to-face therapy of adult aphasia patients. METHODS: For this scoping review, a literature search in the databases Cochrane, Pubmed and Web of Science was conducted for the period February 2010 to 2020. We included German- and English-language studies comparing the effectiveness of a classic face-to-face therapy with a screen-to-screen therapy of adults with aphasia. The studies were selected using the PRISMA flowchart. RESULTS: A total of five studies were identified. Both face-to-face therapy and screen-to-screen therapy showed significant improvements in naming performance in an Italian crossover study, a Canadian randomized study and a quasi-randomized study conducted in the UK. No improvements were found for both forms of intervention in an Israeli crossover study. In a German comparative study, significant improvements in naming performance were found for face-to-face therapy, but the results did not differ significantly from the screen-to-screen therapy intervention group. DISCUSSION: In all included studies, screen-to-screen therapy and face-to-face therapy had a comparable effectiveness on naming performance. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a screen-to-screen therapy under everyday conditions. However, it is possible that this form of therapy cannot always be implemented. Barriers to screen-to-screen therapy can be the use of technologies and restrictions in the visual field due to a neglect. One limitation of the scoping review was that only the naming performance was considered as an outcome, another was the small number of studies included. CONCLUSION: For many patients screen-to-screen therapy is currently the only possibility to receive speech therapy treatment. Therefore it is a positive aspect that screen-to-screen therapy is as effective as face-to-face therapy. Screen-to-screen therapy can provide expanded access to health care and professional expertise in health services. In this way, speech therapy care during the COVID-19 pandemic can be largely maintained. Further research is needed on evidence-based treatment methods and user-oriented apps for video therapy.

Formative assessment of practical skills with peer-assessors: quality features of an OSCE in general medicine at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty.

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have become an established examination format at German medical faculties. Medical experts routinely use a summative assessment to evaluate practical and communicative skills, while the use of the OSCE format by student examiners, as a formative examination, remains rather limited. Objective: The formative OSCE program of the Department of General Practice and Implementation Research at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty, which is conducted and evaluated by peer tutors, is examined with regard to its quality criteria and compared with summative OSCEs from other departments. Methods: Difficulties and discriminatory power of individual testing stations were determined for the summative, as well as the formative OSCE, and compared with each other. To assess the reliability of the measurements, an analysis of the data was carried out using the Generalizability theory. In addition, a comparison is made between the assessments of student examiners and second assessments by medical experts. Results: The stations of the formative OSCE show similar difficulties as those of the summative comparison OSCEs (Pform=0.882; Psum=0.845 - 0.902). With respect to measurement reliability, there are no differences between the OSCE in General Medicine and the other subjects. The assessments of student examiners and medical experts correlate highly (r=0.888). Conclusion: The formative OSCE in General Medicine is comparable to the summative comparison formats in terms of its quality criteria. The use of student examiners can be a reliable alternative to medical experts in formative OSCEs.

The AaLplus near-peer teaching program in Family Medicine strengthens basic medical skills-A five-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Basic medical skills such as history taking and physical examination are essential components of clinical work profiles, but nevertheless have been neglected by conventional preclinical curricula. The near-peer-teaching program AaLplus [living anatomy plus] teaches basic medical skills, especially history taking, physical examination, and venepuncture, to preclinical students. It is a highly popular compulsory course in the first four semesters (320 students/year, 9h/semester) at Heidelberg University and ends with a formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) during which students receive structured in-depth feedback on their performance. AaLplus is part of the Department of General Practice's longitudinal curriculum for Family Medicine. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess whether the AaLplus program has positive effects on students' clinical skill development and subjective confidence in history taking, physical examination and venepuncture. METHODS: From 2015 to 2019, we asked all AaLplus participants to rate the program and self-assess their medical skills on 5-point Likert scales (min 1, max 5). In 4-station OSCEs, trained tutors rated the students' performance in all taught skills using standardized checklists. RESULTS: From 2015 to 2019 n = 1534 questionnaires returned (response rate = 98.6%, 52.7% females). After course completion, students felt able to take a patient's history (mean 3.97, SD = 0.75) and perform physical examinations (means range 3.82-4.36, SDs range 0.74-0.89) as well as venepuncture (mean 4.12, SD = 0.88). A large majority of students claimed they acquired these skills in the AaLplus program. During OSCE, 81.9% passed anamnesis, 93.1% passed physical examination, and 95.4% passed venepuncture (of n = 1556). Students mostly rated the feedback they received during the OSCE as "helpful" or "very helpful" (means for different stations 4.69-4.76, SDs 0.50-0.70). CONCLUSIONS: AaLplus is a positive example of a peer teaching program in the preclinical stage of medical studies. It successfully trains junior students in essential medical abilities and increases their confidence in their skills. A high percentage of students pass the formative OSCE and evaluate it positively. Consistently high ratings indicate the program's routine viability. Further studies are needed to analyze if programs like AaLplus could have an impact on the number of graduates choosing career in Family Medicine.

Peers as OSCE assessors for junior medical students - a review of routine use: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Peer-assisted learning is well established in medical education; however, peer tutors rarely act as assessors for the OSCE. In the compulsory, near-peer teaching programme covering basic medical skills at the University of Heidelberg, peer tutors serve as assessors on a formative OSCE. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and acceptance of peer assessors and to survey the perceived advantages and disadvantages of their use. METHODS: In 2016 and 2017 all OSCE peer assessors (third to sixth-year medical students) and all of the peer-assessed students in 2017 (second-year-medical students) were invited to participate in a survey. Both groups were asked to complete a tablet-based questionnaire immediately after the OSCE. Peer assessors were asked to rate eight statements and the peer-assessed students to rate seven statements on a five-point Likert scale. Both were asked to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of peer-assessors. RESULTS: Overall, 74 of 76 peer assessors and 307 of 308 peer-assessed students participated in the study. 94% (67/74) of peer assessors and 90% (276/307) of the peer-assessed group thought that it is important to have peer tutors as assessors. Of the peer assessors, 92% (68/74) felt confident in giving structured feedback during the OSCE and 66% (49/74) felt they had improved their teaching skills. Of the peer-assessed students, 99% (306/307) were satisfied with their peers as OSCE assessors and 96% (292/307) considered the peer feedback during the OSCE as helpful. The participants mentioned structural benefits, such as lower costs, and suggested the quality of the OSCE was higher due to the use of peer assessors. The use of peer assessors was found to be beneficial for the learners in the form of high-quality feedback and an overall reduction in stress. Furthermore, the use of peer assessors was found to be beneficial for the peer assessors (improved teaching and clinical skills). CONCLUSION: From a learner's perspective, the use of peer assessors for a formative OSCE that is part of a near-peer teaching program aimed at junior medical students is favourable for all. A broad implementation of peer assessment in the formative OSCE should be encouraged to investigate effects on quality and stress-reduction.

Promoting medical competencies through a didactic tutor qualification programme - a qualitative study based on the CanMEDS Physician Competency Framework.

BACKGROUND: In peer-led tutorial courses, qualified medical students ("tutors") provide their peers with opportunities to deepen their theoretical knowledge effectively and to practice clinical skills already in preclinical semesters. At the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, a structured medical didactic qualification programme prepares and trains future tutors for their responsibilities. This programme consists of four modules: 1. medical didactics and group leadership, 2. subject-specific training, 3. performance of tutorial courses as well as 4. collegial advice and reflection on the tutors' activities. The aim of this study is to systematically analyse and present the development of role competencies for medical tutors based on the CanMEDS Physician Competency Framework through the didactic qualification programme. METHODS: We applied a qualitative research approach to detect CanMEDS role competencies acquisition within the tutor qualification programme. The CanMEDS framework describes key competencies, grouped thematically under seven professional roles. Two tutors and three training coordinators independently assigned the individual modules of the tutor qualification programme to the key competencies of the CanMEDS framework. Tutors and training coordinators compared and discussed the allocations within the groups in a consensus finding process. All authors analysed the findings in order to find out the so-called "hidden curriculum". The views of both groups are presented separately. RESULTS: The training programme promotes the acquisition of competencies in all seven CanMEDS roles. The roles of the scholar and the leader are promoted in all modules. In addition, the first and fourth module focus predominately on the role of the collaborator, the second on the role of the medical expert and communicator, and the fourth on the role of the professional. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic analysis through assignment of the CanMEDS roles to the individual modules of the tutor qualification programme documents the comprehensive acquisition of competencies, not only with regard to the tutor activity, but generally with regard to the later role of the physician. The reflection on one's own competency acquisition can support the promotion of corresponding competencies in the qualification programme and their transfer into the professional practice later.

A scoping analysis of the aspects of primary healthcare physician job satisfaction: facets relevant to the Indonesian system.

BACKGROUND: Although there is extensive literature on the different aspects of physician job satisfaction worldwide, existing questionnaires used to measure job satisfaction in developed countries (e.g., the Job Satisfaction Scale) do not capture the aspects specific to Indonesian primary healthcare physicians. This is especially true considering the 2014 healthcare system reform, which led to the implementation of a national social health insurance scheme in Indonesia that has significantly changed the working conditions of physicians. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify aspects of primary care physician job satisfaction featured in published literature and determine those most suitable for measuring physician job satisfaction in light of Indonesia's recent reforms. METHODS: A scoping literature review of full-text articles published in English between 2006 and 2015 was conducted using the PubMed, Psycinfo, and Web of Science databases. All aspects of primary care physician job satisfaction included in these studies were identified and classified. We then selected aspects mentioned in more than 5% of the reviewed papers and identified those most relevant to the post-reform Indonesian context. RESULTS: A total of 440 articles were reviewed, from which 23 aspects of physicians' job satisfaction were extracted. Sixteen aspects were deemed relevant to the current Indonesian system: physical working conditions, overall job satisfaction, patient care/treatment, referral systems, relationships with colleagues, financial aspects, workload, time of work, recognition for good work, autonomy, opportunity to use abilities, relationships with patients, their families, and community, primary healthcare facilities' organization and management style, medical education, healthcare systems, and communication with health insurers. CONCLUSION: Considering the recent reforms of the Indonesian healthcare system, existing tools for measuring job satisfaction among physicians must be revised. Future research should focus on the development and validation of new measures of physician job satisfaction based on the aspects identified in this study.

Primary care physicians' satisfaction after health care reform: a cross-sectional study from two cities in Central Java, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: In 2014, Indonesia launched a mandatory national health insurance system called Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN). The reform introduced new conditions for primary care physicians (PCPs) that could influence their job satisfaction. This study assessed PCPs' satisfaction and its predictors in two cities in Central Java, Indonesia, following the reform. METHODS: In this exploratory, cross-sectional study, we recruited 276 PCPs from the selected area. The data were all collected in 2016 using self-report questionnaires and interviews. PCPs' satisfaction was measured using a modified version of the Warr-Cook-Wall Job Satisfaction Scale which contains 19 items and uses a Likert-type response scale. Analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis H test, both with Bonferroni corrections for post hoc testing, and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel tests were used to compare overall job satisfaction between participant groups. We used simple and multiple linear regression analyses to identify the predictors of PCP satisfaction. Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis for binary outcome was applied to model the PCPs intention to leave practice. RESULTS: PCPs' mean overall satisfaction level was 3.19 out of 5. They tended to be very satisfied with their relationship with colleagues, working hours, and physical working conditions. However, the PCPs were dissatisfied with the new referral system, the JKN health services standards, and JKN policy. The factors significantly associated with job satisfaction (p <  0.001) included type of practice, performance of managerial tasks, and PCPs' perceptions of and experiences with patients. PCP satisfaction was negatively associated (p = 0.004) with PCPs' intention to leave their practice. CONCLUSIONS: The PCPs investigated in these two cities in Central Java had moderate satisfaction after the Indonesian health care reform. PCPs who worked in solo practices, performed managerial tasks, and had good experiences with patients tended to have higher satisfaction scores, which in turn prevented them from developing an intention to leave their practice. The three aspects that PCPs with which most dissatisfied were related with the JKN reform. Because of that, the government and BPJS for Health should aim to improve the JKN system in order to increase PCPs' satisfaction.

Stress and stressors of medical student near-peer tutors during courses: a psychophysiological mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Structured peer-led tutorial courses are widespread and indispensable teaching methods that relieve teaching staff and contribute to the development of students' competencies. Nevertheless, despite high general stress levels in medical students and associated increases in psychopathology, specific knowledge of peer tutors' additional burdens is very limited. METHODS: Sixty student near-peer tutors from two structured peer-teaching programmes volunteered to participate. On multiple occasions in three different course sessions, we assessed tutors' subjective stress, affective state, heart rate variability, and salivary cortisol. Additionally, tutors named everyday and course-specific stressors, which were evaluated by means of content analyses. RESULTS: The study participation rate was high (63% of all active tutors). The participating tutors are socially well adapted and resilient individuals. They report a variety of stressors such as time pressure, participant characteristics, teacher role demands, and study requirements, but nevertheless display only moderate psychological and physiological stress that decreases over sessions. Tutors' negative affect in sessions is low; their positive affect is consistently high for senior as well as novice tutors. Tutors rate their courses' quality as high and quickly recover after sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Tutors successfully cope with teaching-associated and everyday life demands. The results corroborate the viability and success of current peer-teaching programmes from the tutors' perspective. This study is the first to comprehensively quantify tutors' stress and describe frequent stressors, thus contributing to the development of better peer teaching programmes and tutor qualification training.

Opportunities and obstacles using a clinical decision support system for maternal care in Burkina Faso.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal and neonatal mortality is high in sub-Saharan Africa. To support Healthcare Workers (HCWs), a computerized decision support system (CDSS) was piloted at six rural maternal care units in Burkina Faso. During the two years of the study period, it was apparent from reports that the CDSS was not used regularly in clinical practice. This study aimed to explore the reasons why HCWs failed to use the CDSS. METHODS: A workshop, organized as group discussions and a plenary session, was performed with 13 participants to understand their experience with the CDSS and suggest improvements if pertinent. Workshop transcripts were analyzed thematically. Socio-demographic and usage patterns of the CDSS were examined by a questionnaire and analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: The participants reported that the contextual basic conditions for using the CDSS were not fulfilled. These included unreliable power supply, none user-friendly partograph, the CDSS was not integrated with workflow and staff lacked motivational incentives. Despite these limitations, the HCWs reported learning benefits from guidance and alerts in the CDSS. Using the CDSS enabled them to discover problems earlier as they learned to focus on symptoms to prevent harmful situations. CONCLUSION: The CDSS was not tailored to the needs and context of the users. The HCWs, defined their needs and suggested how the CDSS should be re-designed. This suggests that the successful and regular usage of any CDSS in rural settings requires the involvement of users throughout the construction and pilot-testing phases and not only during the early prototype design period.

Cost-effectiveness of an electronic clinical decision support system for improving quality of antenatal and childbirth care in rural Tanzania: an intervention study.

BACKGROUND: QUALMAT project aimed at improving quality of maternal and newborn care in selected health care facilities in three African countries. An electronic clinical decision support system was implemented to support providers comply with established standards in antenatal and childbirth care. Given that health care resources are limited and interventions differ in their potential impact on health and costs (efficiency), this study aimed at assessing cost-effectiveness of the system in Tanzania. METHODS: This was a quantitative pre- and post- intervention study involving 6 health centres in rural Tanzania. Cost information was collected from health provider's perspective. Outcome information was collected through observation of the process of maternal care. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for antenatal and childbirth care were calculated with testing of four models where the system was compared to the conventional paper-based approach to care. One-way sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine whether changes in process quality score and cost would impact on cost-effectiveness ratios. RESULTS: Economic cost of implementation was 167,318 USD, equivalent to 27,886 USD per health center and 43 USD per contact. The system improved antenatal process quality by 4.5% and childbirth care process quality by 23.3% however these improvements were not statistically significant. Base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of the system were 2469 USD and 338 USD per 1% change in process quality for antenatal and childbirth care respectively. Cost-effectiveness of the system was sensitive to assumptions made on costs and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Although the system managed to marginally improve individual process quality variables, it did not have significant improvement effect on the overall process quality of care in the short-term. A longer duration of usage of the electronic clinical decision support system and retention of staff are critical to the efficiency of the system and can reduce the invested resources. Realization of gains from the system requires effective implementation and an enabling healthcare system. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered clinical trial at www.clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT01409824 ). Registered May 2009.

Can performance-based incentives improve motivation of nurses and midwives in primary facilities in northern Ghana? A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Lack of an adequate and well-performing health workforce has emerged as the biggest barrier to scaling up health services provision in sub-Saharan Africa. As the global community commits to the Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage, health workforce challenges are critical. In northern Ghana, performance-based incentives (PBIs) were introduced to improve health worker motivation and service quality. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine the impact of PBIs on maternal health worker motivation in two districts in northern Ghana. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study design with pre- and post-intervention measurement was used. PBIs were implemented for 2 years in six health facilities in Kassena-Nankana District with six health facilities in Builsa District serving as comparison sites. Fifty pre- and post-intervention structured interviews and 66 post-intervention in-depth interviews were conducted with health workers. Motivation was assessed using constructs for job satisfaction, pride, intrinsic motivation, timelines/attendance, and organisational commitment. Quantitative data were analysed to determine changes in motivation between intervention and comparison facilities pre- and post-intervention using STATA™ version 13. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo 10 to explore possible reasons for quantitative findings. RESULTS: PBIs were associated with slightly improved maternal health worker motivation. Mean values for overall motivation between intervention and comparison health workers were 0.6 versus 0.7 at baseline and 0.8 versus 0.7 at end line, respectively. Differences at baseline and end line were 0.1 (p=0.40 and p=0.50 respectively), with an overall 0.01 difference in difference (p=0.90). Qualitative interviews indicated that PBIs encouraged health workers to work harder and be more punctual, increasing reported pride and job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The results contribute evidence on the effects of PBIs on motivational constructs among maternal health workers in primary care facilities in northern Ghana. PBIs appeared to improve motivation, but not dramatically, and the long-term and unintended effects of their introduction require additional study.

Health worker preferences for performance-based payment schemes in a rural health district in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: One promising way to improve the motivation of healthcare providers and the quality of healthcare services is performance-based incentives (PBIs) also referred as performance-based financing. Our study aims to explore healthcare providers' preferences for an incentive scheme based on local resources, which aimed at improving the quality of maternal and child health care in the Nouna Health District. DESIGN: A qualitative and quantitative survey was carried out in 2010 involving 94 healthcare providers within 34 health facilities. In addition, in-depth interviews involving a total of 33 key informants were conducted at health facility levels. RESULTS: Overall, 85% of health workers were in favour of an incentive scheme based on the health district's own financial resources (95% CI: [71.91; 88.08]). Most health workers (95 and 96%) expressed a preference for financial incentives (95% CI: [66.64; 85.36]) and team-based incentives (95% CI: [67.78; 86.22]), respectively. The suggested performance indicators were those linked to antenatal care services, prevention of mother-to-child human immunodeficiency virus transmission, neonatal care, and immunization. CONCLUSIONS: The early involvement of health workers and other stakeholders in designing an incentive scheme proved to be valuable. It ensured their effective participation in the process and overall acceptance of the scheme at the end. This study is an important contribution towards the designing of effective PBI schemes.

Quality of antenatal and childbirth care in rural health facilities in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania: an intervention study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of an intervention consisting of a computer-assisted clinical decision support system and performance-based incentives, aiming at improving quality of antenatal and childbirth care. METHODS: Intervention study in rural primary healthcare (PHC) facilities in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania. In each country, six intervention and six non-intervention PHC facilities, located in one intervention and one non-intervention rural districts, were selected. Quality was assessed in each facility by health facility surveys, direct observation of antenatal and childbirth care, exit interviews, and reviews of patient records and maternal and child health registers. Findings of pre- and post-intervention and of intervention and non-intervention health facility quality assessments were analysed and assessed for significant (P < 0.05) quality of care differences. RESULTS: Post-intervention quality scores do not show a clear difference to pre-intervention scores and scores at non-intervention facilities. Only a few variables had a statistically significant better post-intervention quality score and when this is the case this is mostly observed in only one study-arm, being pre-/post-intervention or intervention/non-intervention. Post-intervention care shows similar deficiencies in quality of antenatal and childbirth care and in detection, prevention, and management of obstetric complications as at baseline and non-intervention study facilities. CONCLUSION: Our intervention study did not show a significant improvement in quality of care during the study period. However, the use of new technology seems acceptable and feasible in rural PHC facilities in resource-constrained settings, creating the opportunity to use this technology to improve quality of care.

Promising adoption of an electronic clinical decision support system for antenatal and intrapartum care in rural primary healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa: The QUALMAT experience.

BACKGROUND: The QUALMAT project has successfully implemented an electronic clinical decision support system (eCDSS) for antenatal and intrapartum care in two sub-Saharan African countries. The system was introduced to facilitate adherence to clinical practice guidelines and to support decision making during client encounter to bridge the know-do gap of health workers. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe health workers' acceptance and use of the eCDSS for maternal care in rural primary health care (PHC) facilities of Ghana and Tanzania and to identify factors affecting successful adoption of such a system. METHODS: This longitudinal study was conducted in Lindi rural district in Tanzania and Kassena-Nankana district in Ghana between October 2011 and December 2013 employing mixed methods. The study population included healthcare workers who were involved in the provision of maternal care in six rural PHC facilities from one district in each country where the eCDSS was implemented. RESULTS: All eCDSS users participated in the study with 61 and 56 participants at the midterm and final assessment, respectively. After several rounds of user training and support the eCDSS has been successfully adopted and constantly used during patient care in antenatal clinics and maternity wards. The eCDSS was used in 71% (2703/3798) and 59% (14,189/24,204) of all ANC clients in Tanzania and Ghana respectively, while it was also used in 83% (1185/1427) and 67% (1435/2144) of all deliveries in Tanzania and in Ghana, respectively. Several barriers reported to hinder eCDSS use were related to individual users, tasks, technology, and organization attributes. CONCLUSION: Implementation of an eCDSS in resource-constrained PHC facilities in sub-Saharan Africa was successful and the health workers accepted and continuously used the system for maternal care. Facilitators for eCDSS use included sufficient training and regular support whereas the challenges to sustained use were unreliable power supply and perceived high workload. However our study also shows that most of the perceived challenges did not substantially hinder adoption and utilization of the eCDSS during patient care.

Cost-effectiveness of clinical decision support system in improving maternal health care in Ghana.

OBJECTIVE: This paper investigated the cost-effectiveness of a computer-assisted Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) in the identification of maternal complications in Ghana. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed in a before- and after-intervention study. Analysis was conducted from the provider's perspective. The intervention area was the Kassena- Nankana district where computer-assisted CDSS was used by midwives in maternal care in six selected health centres. Six selected health centers in the Builsa district served as the non-intervention group, where the normal Ghana Health Service activities were being carried out. RESULTS: Computer-assisted CDSS increased the detection of pregnancy complications during antenatal care (ANC) in the intervention health centres (before-intervention = 9 /1,000 ANC attendance; after-intervention = 12/1,000 ANC attendance; P-value = 0.010). In the intervention health centres, there was a decrease in the number of complications during labour by 1.1%, though the difference was not statistically significant (before-intervention =107/1,000 labour clients; after-intervention = 96/1,000 labour clients; P-value = 0.305). Also, at the intervention health centres, the average cost per pregnancy complication detected during ANC (cost -effectiveness ratio) decreased from US$17,017.58 (before-intervention) to US$15,207.5 (after-intervention). Incremental cost -effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated at US$1,142. Considering only additional costs (cost of computer-assisted CDSS), cost per pregnancy complication detected was US$285. CONCLUSIONS: Computer -assisted CDSS has the potential to identify complications during pregnancy and marginal reduction in labour complications. Implementing computer-assisted CDSS is more costly but more effective in the detection of pregnancy complications compared to routine maternal care, hence making the decision to implement CDSS very complex. Policy makers should however be guided by whether the additional benefit is worth the additional cost.