Understanding the role and organization of health workers delivering non-communicable disease management in primary care in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review
Recent research conducted by Dr. Archna Gupta of Upstream Lab and collaborators provides valuable insight into the pivotal role health workers play in managing non-communicable diseases within primary care settings in low- and middle-income countries.
The team’s comprehensive scoping review, published in BMC Primary Care and based on analysis of 175 articles, revealed several key findings:
Significance of Multidisciplinary Teams:
- 71% of the reviewed studies emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary teams in the management of non-communicable diseases in primary care
- These teams typically included generalist physicians (family physicians or general practitioners), nurses, and community health workers
- The inclusion of additional non-physician health workers was determined by the prevalence of specific health conditions within the communities served
Optimizing Roles Within Health Teams:
- 23% of articles identified the need to refine and optimize roles within primary care teams
- Role optimization strategies involve reallocating tasks from physicians to nurses or community health workers, and from nurses to community health workers, thereby enhancing the scope and quality of care delivered
- These findings underscore opportunities to leverage team-based approaches for delivering more comprehensive care in resource-constrained settings
(Header photo credit: Unsplash)
