Authors: Maarten Olivier Kok, Tosca Terra, Raymond Tweheyo, Marinka van der Hoeven, Maiza Campos Ponce, Marceline Tutu van Furth, and Elizeus Rutebemberwa
The purpose of this study was to assess the functioning of the telehealth approach that was set-up to support CHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. A mixed-methods study was conducted involving interviews and surveys with key-informants and an analysis of routine consultation data from the call center. Results uncovered that CHWs made extensive use of the call center, however, they rarely asked for support for potential COVID-19 cases. According to the CHWs, there were no signs that people in their communities were suffering from severe health problems due to COVID-19. Still, the telehealth approach did prove useful for other purposes, such as supporting CHWs with their regular tasks and coordinating the supply of essential products. These findings suggest that the telehealth approach could be a feasible and low-cost strategy for providing useful and flexible support to CHWs serving rural communities both within and beyond the context of a given pandemic or health emergency.
Link: Using telehealth to support community health workers in Uganda during COVID-19: a mixed-method study
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Resource Topic: CHW, COVID-19, Intervention, Telehealth
Resource Type: Research
Year: 2023
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Country: Uganda
Publisher May Restrict Access: No