Community Health Workers and the Management of Noncommunicable Diseases Among Rural Health Clinics in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Pilot Study

South Africa’s rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and health care provider shortages has generated the need for community health workers (CHWs) in rural areas. However, roles and interactions with clinic staff are not well understood. Interviews with health care workers at community clinics in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Family & community health 2017-10, Vol.40 (4), p.338-346
Main Authors: Doede, Aubrey L., Allen, Taylor E., Gray, Ja’Lynn S., Herbst, Austin G., Hlungwani, Madala C., Ramakuela, Nditsheni J., Xie, Alice X., Campbell, Cathy L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Community health care
Community Health Workers - organization & administration
Health care
Humans
Labor shortages
Medical personnel
Noncommunicable Diseases - therapy
Original Articles
Partnerships
Pilot Projects
Resource management
Rural areas
Rural Health
Rural Health Services - organization & administration
Shortages
South Africa
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Summary:South Africa’s rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and health care provider shortages has generated the need for community health workers (CHWs) in rural areas. However, roles and interactions with clinic staff are not well understood. Interviews with health care workers at community clinics in Limpopo Province revealed common themes, including resource scarcity, clinic-patient partnerships, management of NCDs, and collaboration between professionals. The data did not support CHW-physician interactions, necessitating further research to describe these practices and to evaluate CHWs’ impact on patient outcomes. The CHW involvement in rural clinics is essential to patient-clinic partnerships and may help close treatment gaps in resource-poor areas.
ISSN:0160-6379
1550-5057
DOI:10.1097/FCH.0000000000000158