Competency Assessment of Health Volunteers in Recording and Reporting Community Health Status in Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58545/jrcnp.v1i2.208Abstract
Health volunteers are selected based on their community knowledge, even with limited formal education. They play crucial roles including complex and technical tasks, such as recording and reporting. The aim of this study was to compare the competency in recording and reporting among health volunteers based on their education qualifications. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a subdistrict hospital in Thailand. Data were collected using the newly developed questionnaire from a purposive sample of health volunteers (N=70). Competency differences were assessed using non-parametric statistics between 44 volunteers with primary education and 26 with secondary education or higher. A total of 70 health volunteers were included in the analyses, yielding a participation rate of 95.9% (70 out of 73). The majority of participants were female (84.3%) and the average age was 57.5 years. Those with secondary education or higher demonstrated significantly better competency in recording and reporting community health status (p = .01). The findings emphasize the need to enhance competency among health volunteers with lower education levels. Nurses in primary care settings can provide guidance, training, and continuous support to empower health volunteers for effective performance.
Keywords:
Competency, Data reporting, Health volunteers, Recording , ReportingDownloads
References
Choowong, J., Sawatdee, D., Maneechote, P., Tulyakul, P. (2020). The Development of Village Health Volunteers’ Competencies for Tuberculosis Care in Trang Province, Thailand. Global Journal of Health Science, 12(9), 30-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v12n9p30
Cowan, D. T., Norman, E., & Coopamah, V. P. (2007). Competence in nursing practice: A controversial concept – A focused review of literature. Accident and Emergency Nursing, 15, 20-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aaen.2006.11.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aaen.2006.11.002
Fukada, M. (2018). Nursing competency: Definition, structure and development. Yonago Acta Medica, 61(1), 001–007. https://doi.org/10.33160/yam.2018.03.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33160/yam.2018.03.001
Jiaviriyaboonya, P. (2022). Anthropological study of village health volunteers’ (VHVs’) socio-political network in minimizing risk and managing the crisis during COVID-19. Heliyon, 8, e08654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08654 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08654
Karuhadej, P., Popijan, M., Danpradit, P. (2019). Effectiveness of increase health volunteer ability program in basic care for the dependent elderly in the communities, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand. Journal of Health Research, 33(3), 219-227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JHR-08-2018-0068
Kimbugwe, G., Mshilla, M., Oluka, D., Nalikka, O., Kyangwa, J., Zalwango, S., Kilizza, U., Turyasiima, M., Ntambazi, L., Walugembe, F., & Galiwango, J. (2014). Challenges faced by village health teams in Amuru, Gulu and Pader districts in northern Uganda. Open Journal of Preventive Medicine, 4(9), 740-750. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpm.2014.49084 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpm.2014.49084
Kowitt, S. D., Emmerling, D., Fisher, E. B., & Tanasugarn, C. (2015). Community health workers as agents of health promotion: Analyzing Thailand’s village health volunteer program. Journal of Community Health. 40, 780-788. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-9999-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-9999-y
Krassanairawiwong, T., Suvannit, C., Ponpirul, K., Tunsanga, K. (2021). Roles of subdistrict health office personnel and village health volunteers in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Case Report, 14, e244765. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-244765
Kweku, M., Manu, E., Amu, H., Aku, F., Y., Adjuik, M., Tarkang, E. E., Komesour, J., Asalu, G. A., Amuna, N. N., Boateng, L. A., Alornyo, J. S., Glover, R., Bawah, A. A., Letsa, T., Awoonor-Williams, J. K., Phillips, J. F., Gyapong, J. O. Volunteer responsivities, motivations, and challenges in implementation of the community-based health planning and services (CHPS) initiative in Ghana. Qualitative evidence from two systems learning districts of the CHPS+ project. BMC Health Services Research, 20, 482. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05348-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05348-6
Pongvongsa, T., Nonaka, D., Kobayashi, J., Mizoue, T., Phongmany, P., & Moji, K. (2011). Determinants of monthly reporting by village health volunteers in a poor rural district of Lao PDR. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 42(4), 1269-1281.
Safary, E. (2021). Role of community health volunteers in identifying people with elevated blood pressure for diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension in Malawi: A qualitative study. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 21, 361. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-021-02171-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12872-021-02171-7
Sittipreechachan, P., Pichayapinya, P., Lagampan, S., & Chongsuwat R. (2022). A community health volunteer involvement program for glycated hemoglobin reduction among Thai patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes: A mixed-method study. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 13, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319221077960 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319221077960
Thai Government Gazette. (2023). Ministry of Public Health Order for rights of the village health volunteers, members for receiving the working compensation, 140, pp. 13–15 (in Thai). https://www.thecoverage.info/sites/default/files/attach-files/2023-02/khatxbaethnxsm.pdf
Weiss, J., Makonnen, R., & Sula, D. (2015). Shifting management of a community volunteer system for improved child health outcomes: Results from an operations research study in Burundi. BMC Health Services Research, 15(Suppl 1), S2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-15-S1-S2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-15-S1-S2
Woldie, M., Feyissa, G. T., Admasu, B., Hassen K., Michell, D., Mayhew, S., McKee, M., & Balabanova, D. (2018). Community health volunteers could help improve access to and use of essential health services by communities in LMICs: An umbrella review. Health Policy and Planning, 22, 1128-1143. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czy094 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czy094
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Sirinapha Jittimanee
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.