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de Vos L, Daniels J, Gebengu A, Mazzola L, Gleeson B, Blümel B, Piton J, Mdingi M, Gigi RMS, Ferreyra C, Klausner JD, Peters RPH. Implementation considerations for a point-of-care Neisseria gonorrhoeae rapid diagnostic test at primary healthcare level in South Africa: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:43. [PMID: 38195446 PMCID: PMC10777514 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10478-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND South Africa maintains an integrated health system where syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STI) is the standard of care. An estimated 2 million cases of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) occur in South Africa every year. Point-of-care diagnostic tests (POCT) may address existing STI control limitations such as overtreatment and missed cases. Subsequently, a rapid lateral flow assay with fluorescence-based detection (NG-LFA) with a prototype reader was developed for N. gonorrhoeae detection showing excellent performance and high usability; however, a better understanding is needed for device implementation and integration into clinics. METHODS A qualitative, time-series assessment using 66 in-depth interviews was conducted among 25 trained healthcare workers involved in the implementation of the NG-LFA. Findings were informed by the Normalization Process Theory (NPT) as per relevant contextual (strategic intentions, adaptive execution, and negotiation capacity) and procedural constructs (coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, reflexive monitoring) to examine device implementation within primary healthcare levels. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using a thematic approach guided by NPT to interpret results. RESULTS Overall, healthcare workers agreed that STI POCT could guide better STI clinical decision-making, with consideration for clinic integration such as space constraints, patient flow, and workload. Perceived NG-LFA benefits included enhanced patient receptivity and STI knowledge. Further, healthcare workers reflected on the suitability of the NG-LFA given current limitations with integrated primary care. Recommendations included sufficient STI education, and appropriate departments for first points of entry for STI screening. CONCLUSIONS The collective action and participation by healthcare workers in the implementation of the NG-LFA revealed adaptive execution within the current facility environment including team compositions, facility-staff receptivity, and STI management experiences. User experiences support future clinic service integration, highlighting the importance of further assessing patient-provider communication for STI care, organizational readiness, and identification of relevant departments for STI screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey de Vos
- Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa
| | - Joseph Daniels
- Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, United States of America.
| | - Avuyonke Gebengu
- Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa
| | | | | | | | | | - Mandisa Mdingi
- Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa
| | - Ranjana M S Gigi
- Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Jeffrey D Klausner
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States of America
| | - Remco P H Peters
- Research Unit, Foundation for Professional Development, East London, South Africa.
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
- Division of Medical Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Ordóñez CE, Marconi VC, Manderson L. Addressing coloniality of power to improve HIV care in South Africa and other LMIC. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2023; 5:1116813. [PMID: 37064826 PMCID: PMC10090665 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2023.1116813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe the appropriateness and potential for effectiveness of three strategic approaches for improving HIV care in South Africa: community-based primary healthcare, local/community-based stakeholder engagement, and community-engaged research. At their core, these approaches are related to overcoming health inequity and inequality resulting from coloniality of power's heterogenous structural processes impacting health care in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We turn to South Africa, a middle-income country, as an example. There the HIV epidemic began in the 1980s and its ending is as elusive as achieving universal healthcare. Despite impressive achievements such as the antiretroviral treatment program (the largest in the world) and the country's outstanding cadre of HIV experts, healthcare workers and leaders, disadvantaged South Africans continue to experience disproportionate rates of HIV transmission. Innovation in global public health must prioritize overcoming the coloniality of power in LMIC, effected through the imposition of development and healthcare models conceived in high-income countries (HIC) and insufficient investment to address social determinants of health. We advocate for a paradigm shift in global health structures and financing to effectively respond to the HIV pandemic in LMIC. We propose ethically responsive, local/community-based stakeholder engagement as a key conceptual approach and strategy to improve HIV care in South Africa and elsewhere. We join in solidarity with local/community-based stakeholders' longstanding efforts and call upon others to change the current status quo characterized by global public health power concentrated in HIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia E. Ordóñez
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Correspondence: Claudia E. Ordóñez
| | - Vincent C. Marconi
- Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Lenore Manderson
- School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Coursey K, Phiri K, Choko AT, Kalande P, Chamberlin S, Hubbard J, Thorp M, Hoffman R, Coates TJ, Dovel K. Understanding the Unique Barriers and Facilitators that Affect Men’s Initiation and Retention in HIV Care: A Qualitative Study to Inform Interventions for Men Across the Treatment Cascade in Malawi. AIDS Behav 2022; 27:1766-1775. [PMID: 36401144 PMCID: PMC10149452 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-022-03909-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMen in sub-Saharan Africa are underrepresented in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs. Our secondary analysis of 40 in-depth interviews with Malawian men living with HIV examined barriers and facilitators for ART initiation versus retention. Interviewees included men who never initiated or initiated ART late (initiation respondents, n = 19); and men who initiated ART but were late for an appointment (retention respondents, n = 21). Transcribed interviews were coded using deductive and inductive coding techniques and analyzed using constant comparison methods. Long wait times, frequent facility visits, and insufficient in-clinic privacy were barriers for initiation and retention. Poor knowledge of ART was primarily a barrier for initiation; unexpected travel was a barrier for retention. Key facilitators for initiation and retention included previous positive experiences with health facilities. Having examples of successful men using ART primarily facilitated initiation; support from spouses and male peers facilitated retention. Results may inform interventions to increase men’s engagement in ART services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Coursey
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Ave 37-121, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Khumbo Phiri
- Partners in Hope Medical Center, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Augustine T Choko
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Stephanie Chamberlin
- Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, USA
| | - Julie Hubbard
- Partners in Hope Medical Center, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Marguerite Thorp
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Risa Hoffman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Thomas J Coates
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- University of California Global Health Institute, San Francisco, USA
| | - Kathryn Dovel
- Partners in Hope Medical Center, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
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Addo J, Pearce D, Metcalf M, Lundquist C, Thomas G, Barros-Aguirre D, Koh GCKW, Strange M. Living with tuberculosis: a qualitative study of patients’ experiences with disease and treatment. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1717. [PMID: 36085073 PMCID: PMC9462890 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14115-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Although tuberculosis (TB) is a curable disease, treatment is complex and prolonged, requiring considerable commitment from patients. This study aimed to understand the common perspectives of TB patients across Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa throughout their disease journey, including the emotional, psychological, and practical challenges that patients and their families face.
Methods
This qualitative market research study was conducted between July 2020 and February 2021. Eight TB patients from each country (n = 40) completed health questionnaires, video/telephone interviews, and diaries regarding their experiences of TB. Additionally, 52 household members were interviewed. Patients at different stages of their TB treatment journey, from a range of socioeconomic groups, with or without TB risk factors were sought. Anonymized data underwent triangulation and thematic analysis by iterative coding of statements.
Results
The sample included 23 men and 17 women aged 13–60 years old, with risk factors for TB reported by 23/40 patients. Although patients were from different countries and cultural backgrounds, experiencing diverse health system contexts, five themes emerged as common across the sample. 1) Economic hardship from loss of income and medical/travel expenses. 2) Widespread stigma, delaying presentation and deeply affecting patients’ emotional wellbeing. 3) TB and HIV co-infection was particularly challenging, but increased TB awareness and accelerated diagnosis. 4) Disruption to family life strained relationships and increased patients’ feelings of isolation and loneliness. 5) The COVID-19 pandemic made it easier for TB patients to keep their condition private, but disrupted access to services.
Conclusions
Despite disparate cultural, socio-economic, and systemic contexts across countries, TB patients experience common challenges. A robust examination of the needs of individual patients and their families is required to improve the patient experience, encourage adherence, and promote cure, given the limitations of current treatment.
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Pietersen E, Anderson K, van der Heijden YF. Public health and hospital-based nursing intersection: Case study of drug-resistant tuberculosis patients. Public Health Nurs 2022; 39:170-179. [PMID: 34990027 DOI: 10.1111/phn.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Public health nurses (PHN) are key partners in continuity of care for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients. We examined complexities in DR-TB care transition between community- and hospital-based care. DESIGN We conducted a case study using medical record data. Four patients were purposively selected to illustrate intersectional complexities in DR-TB care transition involving PHN. RESULTS Case A (HIV negative male) received PHN care at a community-based facility 124 km from Cape Town. Cases B, C, and D (males living with HIV) received PHN community-based care, averaging 25 km from the hospital. Treatment failed in cases A, B, and C; they subsequently died. Case D was cured. All cases were granted leave of absence at least once while hospitalized. None returned when expected mainly due to lack of transport funds. PHN played critical roles regarding patients' return by conducting home visits, interacting with relatives, and assisting emergency officers to transport patients back to the hospital. PHN supported relatives to endure protracted patient hospitalizations. CONCLUSION The role of PHN in continuity of DR-TB care in low-middle income countries is unambiguous. PHN are key partners in the DR-TB care cascade, namely facilitating retention in care between hospital and community-based care. Effective DR-TB control relies on effective partnerships among healthcare personnel, patients, and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elize Pietersen
- Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine and UCT Lung Institute & South African MRC/UCT Centre for the Study of Antimicrobial Resistance, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kim Anderson
- Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine and UCT Lung Institute & South African MRC/UCT Centre for the Study of Antimicrobial Resistance, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Yuri F van der Heijden
- Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, USA.,The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Leveraging HIV Care Infrastructures for Integrated Chronic Disease and Pandemic Management in Sub-Saharan Africa. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010751. [PMID: 34682492 PMCID: PMC8535610 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In Sub-Saharan Africa, communicable and other tropical infectious diseases remain major challenges apart from the continuing HIV/AIDS epidemic. Recognition and prevalence of non-communicable diseases have risen throughout Africa, and the reimagining of healthcare delivery is needed to support communities coping with not only with HIV, tuberculosis, and COVID-19, but also cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. Many non-communicable diseases can be prevented or treated with low-cost interventions, yet implementation of such care has been limited in the region. In this Perspective piece, we argue that deployment of an integrated service delivery model is an urgent next step, propose a South African model for integration, and conclude with recommendations for next steps in research and implementation. An approach that is inspired by South African experience would build on existing HIV-focused infrastructure that has been developed by Ministries of Health with strong support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Response for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. An integrated chronic healthcare model holds promise to sustainably deliver infectious disease and non-communicable disease care. Integrated care will be especially critical as health systems seek to cope with the unprecedented challenges associated with COVID-19 and future pandemic threats.
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