Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract Background Despite global efforts to increase health workforce capacity through training and guidelines, challenges remain in bridging the gap between knowledge and quality clinical practice and addressing health system deficiencies preventing health workers from providing high quality care...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-017-2656-7 |
| _version_ | 1811220694846930944 |
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| author | Anatole Manzi Lisa R. Hirschhorn Kenneth Sherr Cindy Chirwa Colin Baynes John Koku Awoonor-Williams the AHI PHIT Partnership Collaborative |
| author_facet | Anatole Manzi Lisa R. Hirschhorn Kenneth Sherr Cindy Chirwa Colin Baynes John Koku Awoonor-Williams the AHI PHIT Partnership Collaborative |
| author_sort | Anatole Manzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Despite global efforts to increase health workforce capacity through training and guidelines, challenges remain in bridging the gap between knowledge and quality clinical practice and addressing health system deficiencies preventing health workers from providing high quality care. In many developing countries, supervision activities focus on data collection, auditing and report completion rather than catalyzing learning and supporting system quality improvement. To address this gap, mentorship and coaching interventions were implemented in projects in five African countries (Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia) as components of health systems strengthening (HSS) strategies funded through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s African Health Initiative. We report on lessons learned from a cross-country evaluation. Methods The evaluation was designed based on a conceptual model derived from the project-specific interventions. Semi-structured interviews were administered to key informants to capture data in six categories: 1) mentorship and coaching goals, 2) selection and training of mentors and coaches, 3) integration with the existing systems, 4) monitoring and evaluation, 5) reported outcomes, and 6) challenges and successes. A review of project-published articles and technical reports from the individual projects supplemented interview information. Results Although there was heterogeneity in the approaches to mentorship and coaching and targeted areas of the country projects, all led to improvements in core health system areas, including quality of clinical care, data-driven decision making, leadership and accountability, and staff satisfaction. Adaptation of approaches to reflect local context encouraged their adoption and improved their effectiveness and sustainability. Conclusion We found that incorporating mentorship and coaching activities into HSS strategies was associated with improvements in quality of care and health systems, and mentorship and coaching represents an important component of HSS activities designed to improve not just coverage, but even further effective coverage, in achieving Universal Health Care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:47:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f37b417525e945f29e88afaa3153478d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:47:15Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-f37b417525e945f29e88afaa3153478d2022-12-22T03:41:41ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632017-12-0117S351610.1186/s12913-017-2656-7Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan AfricaAnatole Manzi0Lisa R. Hirschhorn1Kenneth Sherr2Cindy Chirwa3Colin Baynes4John Koku Awoonor-Williams5the AHI PHIT Partnership CollaborativePartners In HealthPartners In HealthDepartment of Global Health, University of WashingtonPrimary Care and Health Systems Department, Center for Infectious Disease ResearchHeilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia UniversityPolicy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Ghana Health ServiceAbstract Background Despite global efforts to increase health workforce capacity through training and guidelines, challenges remain in bridging the gap between knowledge and quality clinical practice and addressing health system deficiencies preventing health workers from providing high quality care. In many developing countries, supervision activities focus on data collection, auditing and report completion rather than catalyzing learning and supporting system quality improvement. To address this gap, mentorship and coaching interventions were implemented in projects in five African countries (Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia) as components of health systems strengthening (HSS) strategies funded through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s African Health Initiative. We report on lessons learned from a cross-country evaluation. Methods The evaluation was designed based on a conceptual model derived from the project-specific interventions. Semi-structured interviews were administered to key informants to capture data in six categories: 1) mentorship and coaching goals, 2) selection and training of mentors and coaches, 3) integration with the existing systems, 4) monitoring and evaluation, 5) reported outcomes, and 6) challenges and successes. A review of project-published articles and technical reports from the individual projects supplemented interview information. Results Although there was heterogeneity in the approaches to mentorship and coaching and targeted areas of the country projects, all led to improvements in core health system areas, including quality of clinical care, data-driven decision making, leadership and accountability, and staff satisfaction. Adaptation of approaches to reflect local context encouraged their adoption and improved their effectiveness and sustainability. Conclusion We found that incorporating mentorship and coaching activities into HSS strategies was associated with improvements in quality of care and health systems, and mentorship and coaching represents an important component of HSS activities designed to improve not just coverage, but even further effective coverage, in achieving Universal Health Care.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-017-2656-7MentorshipQuality improvementCoachingRwandaGhanaTanzania |
| spellingShingle | Anatole Manzi Lisa R. Hirschhorn Kenneth Sherr Cindy Chirwa Colin Baynes John Koku Awoonor-Williams the AHI PHIT Partnership Collaborative Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa BMC Health Services Research Mentorship Quality improvement Coaching Rwanda Ghana Tanzania |
| title | Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full | Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_fullStr | Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_short | Mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems: lessons learned across the five Population Health Implementation and Training partnership projects in sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_sort | mentorship and coaching to support strengthening healthcare systems lessons learned across the five population health implementation and training partnership projects in sub saharan africa |
| topic | Mentorship Quality improvement Coaching Rwanda Ghana Tanzania |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-017-2656-7 |
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