A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)

Abstract Increasing demand for Short-term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH), particularly among medical trainees, has seen a growth in programming that brings participants from high-income countries to low and middle-income settings in order to engage in service, teaching or research activities....

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Main Authors: Shivani Shah, Henry C. Lin, Lawrence C. Loh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-04-01
Series:Globalization and Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12992-019-0469-7
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author Shivani Shah
Henry C. Lin
Lawrence C. Loh
author_facet Shivani Shah
Henry C. Lin
Lawrence C. Loh
author_sort Shivani Shah
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Increasing demand for Short-term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH), particularly among medical trainees, has seen a growth in programming that brings participants from high-income countries to low and middle-income settings in order to engage in service, teaching or research activities. Historically the domain of faith-based organizations conducting “missions”, STEGH are now offered by diverse groups including academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and the private sector, either as dedicated for-profits or through corporate social responsibility arms. The growing popularity of STEGH has resulted in concerns about their negative impacts on host communities. Traditional STEGH are often crafted with little or no input from host community leaders, and this results in activities that do not address locally identified priorities. Other concerns include culturally incongruent programming and the creation of parallel systems that disrupt established local services and redirect scarce local resources, which fosters dependency instead of building capacity. One concern specific to trainees also includes trainee provision of services beyond their scope and training level. To address these concerns, this paper presents a comprehensive framework that aims to categorize promising interventions that might promote greater responsibility in STEGH. Based on the micro-meso-macro framework, this paper proposes various interventions as incentives and disincentives to be deployed at the individual, program, and societal levels to promote greater responsibility in STEGH. Deployed altogether, the interventions contemplated by this framework would foster the optimal context  required to encourage responsibility, minimize harms, and optimize host community outcomes for STEGH.
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spelling doaj.art-e9875db7e3ee4508874e09b8adeb18cb2022-12-22T00:34:58ZengBMCGlobalization and Health1744-86032019-04-011511810.1186/s12992-019-0469-7A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)Shivani Shah0Henry C. Lin1Lawrence C. LohSchulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western OntarioOregon Health Sciences UniversityAbstract Increasing demand for Short-term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH), particularly among medical trainees, has seen a growth in programming that brings participants from high-income countries to low and middle-income settings in order to engage in service, teaching or research activities. Historically the domain of faith-based organizations conducting “missions”, STEGH are now offered by diverse groups including academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and the private sector, either as dedicated for-profits or through corporate social responsibility arms. The growing popularity of STEGH has resulted in concerns about their negative impacts on host communities. Traditional STEGH are often crafted with little or no input from host community leaders, and this results in activities that do not address locally identified priorities. Other concerns include culturally incongruent programming and the creation of parallel systems that disrupt established local services and redirect scarce local resources, which fosters dependency instead of building capacity. One concern specific to trainees also includes trainee provision of services beyond their scope and training level. To address these concerns, this paper presents a comprehensive framework that aims to categorize promising interventions that might promote greater responsibility in STEGH. Based on the micro-meso-macro framework, this paper proposes various interventions as incentives and disincentives to be deployed at the individual, program, and societal levels to promote greater responsibility in STEGH. Deployed altogether, the interventions contemplated by this framework would foster the optimal context  required to encourage responsibility, minimize harms, and optimize host community outcomes for STEGH.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12992-019-0469-7Global healthEthicsVolunteeringMedical missionMotivations
spellingShingle Shivani Shah
Henry C. Lin
Lawrence C. Loh
A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)
Globalization and Health
Global health
Ethics
Volunteering
Medical mission
Motivations
title A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)
title_full A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)
title_fullStr A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)
title_full_unstemmed A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)
title_short A Comprehensive Framework to Optimize Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)
title_sort comprehensive framework to optimize short term experiences in global health stegh
topic Global health
Ethics
Volunteering
Medical mission
Motivations
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12992-019-0469-7
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