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A Systematic Review of Health Technology Assessment Tools in Sub-Saharan Africa: Methodological Issues and Implications

Health technology assessment (HTA) is mostly used in the context of high- and middle-income countries. Many “resource-poor” settings, which have the greatest need for critical assessment of health technology, have a limited basis for making evidence-based choices. This can lead to inappropriate use of technologies, a problem that could be addressed by HTA that enables the efficient use of resources, which is especially crucial in such settings. There is a lack of clarity about which HTA tools should be used in these settings.

Health Systems Integration of Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV Services in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Study

Both sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and HIV programs in sub-Saharan Africa are typically delivered vertically, operating parallel to national health systems. The objective of this study was to map the evidence on national and international strategies for integration of SRH and HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa and to develop a research agenda for future health systems integration. [from abstract]

Factors Affecting Time Management and Nurses’ Performance in Hebron Hospitals

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting time management(personal, and administration obstacles) and nurses performance in Hebron hospitals. [from abstract]

Changes in Transformational Leadership and Empirical Quality Outcomes in a Finnish Hospital over a Two-Year Period: A Longitudinal Study

This paper describes the changes in transformational leadership and quality outcomes that occurred between 2008 and 2011 in a Finnish university hospital that is aiming to meet the Magnet standards. [from abstract]

Managing Quality in Community Health Care Services

Community health care services provide vital care out of hospital for millions of people. From children’s services to care for older people and end-of-life support, the community sector plays a key part in meeting the challenges facing our health and care system. This report presents findings from a small-scale study into how quality is managed in community services. It explores how community care providers define and measure quality and recommends important next steps to support better measurement and management of quality. [from introduction]

Small Group Effectiveness in a Caribbean Medical School’s Problem-Based Learning Sessions

The Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument was developed to provide objective information on the effectiveness of small groups. Student perception of small group effectiveness during the problem base learning (PBL) process has not been previously studied in Xavier University School of Medicine (Aruba, Kingdom of the Netherlands); hence, the present study was carried out. [from abstract]

“Negotiating, Navigating, and Networking”: Three Strategies Used by Nursing Leaders to Shape the Adoption and Incorporation of Simulation into Nursing Curricula—A Grounded Theory Study

Implementing simulation requires a substantial commitment of human and financial resources. Despite this, little is known about the strategies used by academic nursing leaders to facilitate the implementation of a simulation program in nursing curricula. [from abstract]

Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA) in a Health System: What Are The Roles, Benefits and Challenges: A Case Study of Incorporated TBA in Timor-Leste

The study utilized a non-systematic review of the literature using key words such as community health
workers, traditional birth attendants, reproductive health, child health and health outcomes. A case study from
Timor-Leste was also used. [from abstract]

Factors Affecting Job Motivation Among Health Workers: A Study From Iran

Human resources are the most vital resource of any organizations which determine how other
resources are used to accomplish organizational goals. This research aimed to identity factors affecting health
workers’ motivation in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS). [from abstract]

Initiatives Supporting Evidence Informed Health System Policymaking in Cameroon and Uganda: A Comparative Historical Case Study

There is a scarcity of empirical data on institutions devoted to knowledge brokerage and their influence in Africa. Our objective was to describe two pioneering Knowledge Translation Platforms (KTPs) supporting evidence informed health policymaking (EIHSP) in Cameroon and Uganda.

Developing a Pilot E-Mobile App for Dementia Caregiver Support: Lessons Learned

This paper discusses the development of Story-Call, a pilot e-mobile multimedia App, or application, for community-based dementia caregiver support, designed to offer reassurance, information and services to caregivers, and facilitate supportive efforts and implementation of other interventions by nurses and therapists. [from abstract]

Whole-System Change: Case Study of Factors Facilitating Early Implementation of a Primary Health Care Reform in a South African Province

Whole-system interventions are those that entail system wide changes in goals, service delivery arrangements and relationships between actors, requiring approaches to implementation that go beyond projects or programmes. Drawing on concepts from complexity theory, this paper describes the catalysts to implementation of a whole-system intervention in the North West Province of South Africa.

Enrolment of Older People in Social Health Protection Programs in West Africa – Does Social Exclusion Play a Part?

We explore whether social exclusion determines enrolment of older people in Senegal’s Plan Sesame and Ghana’s NHIS. Social exclusion affects older people’s uptake of social health protection (SHP) programs in both Senegal and Ghana. Reducing financial barriers is not enough to achieve universal coverage.Efforts to cover older people at risk of social exclusion should be increased. Sociocultural, political and economic dimensions should be considered while designing SHP schemes. [from abstract]

New Technology and Illness Self-Management: Potential Relevance for Resource-Poor Populations in Asia

The aim here is to explore the extent to which further investment in technology could play a role in the development of an effective and affordable health sector strategy for at least some developing economies. It is suggested that the effectiveness of the approach may be highly dependent on the specific health conditions addressed, the nature of existing health systems and the overall socio-economic and cultural context. [from abstract]

Do Community Health Workers Perceive Mechanisms Associated with the Success of Community Case Management of Malaria? A Qualitative Study From Burkina Faso

The use of community health workers to administer prompt treatments is gaining popularity in most sub-Saharan African countries. Their performance is a key challenge because it varies considerably, depending on the context, while being closely associated with the effectiveness of case management strategies. What determines community health workers’ performance is still under debate. Based on a realist perspective, a systematic review recently hypothesized that several mechanisms are associated with good performance and successful community interventions.

Intent to Stay in the Nursing Profession and Associated Factors Among Nurses Working in Amhara Regional State Referral Hospitals, Ethiopia

Nurses are essential to the health care delivery system especially to meet the health related millennium development goals. However, despite the significant shortage of nurses in Ethiopia, research in the country regarding nurses’ intent to stay in their profession is lacking. This study assessed intent to stay in the nursing profession and associated factors among nurses working in referral hospitals, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. [from abstract]

Facilitators and Barriers Influencing Patient Safety in Swedish Hospitals: A Qualitative Study of Nurses’ Perceptions

This interview study aimed to explore perceived facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety among nurses involved in the direct provision of care. Considering the importance of nurses with regard to patient safety, this knowledge could facilitate the development and implementation of better solutions. [from abstract]

Community Health Nurses’ Learning Needs in Relation to the Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice: Results From a Canadian Survey

This paper examines Canadian CHNs learning needs in relation to the 2008 Canadian Community Health Nursing Standards of Practice (CCHN Standards). It answers: What are the learning needs of CHNs in Canada in relation to the CCHN Standards? What are differences in CHNs’ learning needs by: province and territory in Canada, work setting (home health, public health and other community health settings) and years of nursing practice? [from abstract]

Exploring the Potential for Advanced Nursing Practice Role Development in Kenya: A Qualitative Study

Definitions of advanced nursing practice abound, yet little has been published concerning the context for advanced nursing in sub-Saharan Africa. This study set out to explore the existence of, and potential for, advanced nursing practice in Kenya. [from abstract]

Rewarding Safer Sex: Conditional Cash Transfers for HIV/STI Prevention

At the end of the one year of intervention, the results showed a significant reduction in sexually transmitted infections in the group that was eligible for the $20 payments every four months,but no such reduction was found for the group receiving the $10 payments. The effects were stronger among the lower socioeconomic and higher risks groups. The results of a post-intervention follow-up survey conducted one year after discontinuing the intervention indicate a sustained effect among males, but not among females. [from abstract]

More is More in Remote Central Australia: More Provision of Primary Healthcare Services is Associated with More Acute Medical Evacuations and More Remote Telephone Consultations

This study investigated whether increased numbers of primary healthcare clinical consultations in Indigenous communities in some remote areas of Australia are associated with the reduced need for urgent medical evacuations and remote telephone consultations. [from abstract]

Back to Basics: Designing an Appropriate Health Financing System

In striving for Universal Health Coverage, Jo Kemp advocates for a well-rounded assessment of health financing options. [from resource]

Interest In and Willingness to Use Complementary, Alternative and Traditional Medicine Among Academic and Administrative University Staff in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Healthcare systems worldwide are changing and the use of complementary, alternative and traditional medicine (CAM) form part of this transformation. South Africa has a large number of CAM practitioners, but they are not included in the official healthcare system. The aim of this study was to determine the perception and usage of CAM among the academic and administrative staff of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein, South Africa. [from abstract]

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice in Primary Health Care: Nursing and Midwifery Perspectives

This publication presents 6 case studies on interprofessional education and collaborative practice from Brazil, Canada, India, South Africa and the USA. The document also highlights some barriers and enablers to take into account for implementation. [from introduction]

The Impact of Team Building on Communication and Job Satisfaction of Nursing Staff

A series of team-building activities were conducted on a medical-surgical unit and their impact on staff’s communication and job satisfaction was examined. Forty-four unit personnel participated in the interventions. Staff communication and job satisfaction were measured before and after the intervention. The findings linked team-building activities with improved staff communication and job satisfaction. [from abstract]

The Organizational Culture of a Brazilian Public Hospital

The objective of this research was to analyze the organizational culture of a Brazilian public hospital. It is a descriptive study with quantitative approach of data, developed in a public hospital of São Paulo State, Brazil. [from abstract]

Patient Safety Curriculum Guide for Medical Schools

The WHO Patient Safety Curriculum Guide for Medical Schools, published in 2009 aims to encourage and facilitate the teaching of patient safety topics to medical students.

Medical Teamwork and Patient Safety: The Evidence-Based Relation

The science of team performance and training can help the medical community improve patient safety. This report, commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), assesses the status of relevant team training research from aviation and other domains and applies this research to the field of medicine. It additionally provides a comprehensive review and evaluation of current medical team training initiatives and their effectiveness. [from resource]

Interprofessional Collaborative Teams

This paper aims to explore and explain the use of models of care delivery that optimally utilize the role of nurses in primary healthcare, community-based care and other non-acute care contexts such as chronic disease management, long-term care, continuing care, health promotion and disease prevention. Additionally, exemplar models of care, as case studies, are identified to highlight essential elements of effective service delivery models and strategies for successful application. [from introduction]

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Health Care Teams

While it is recognised that effective health care teams are associated with quality patient care, the literature is comparatively sparse in defining the outcomes of effective teamwork. This literature review of the range of organisational, team and individual benefits of teamwork complements an earlier article which summarised the antecedent conditions for (input) and team processes (throughput) of effective teams. This article summarises the evidence for a range of outcome measures of effective teams. [from abstract]