Training Community Healthcare Workers for Breast Exams
Author Information
Author(s): Masroor Talea, Martins Russell S, Arif Aiman, Chughtai Talaiha, Madhani Falak, Zahid Nida, Zeeshan Sana, Vohra Lubna, Khan Salima, Hidayat Mishal, Amir Hamna, Soofi Sajid Bashir, Sattar Abida K
Primary Institution: Aga Khan University
Hypothesis
Can a structured cascade model effectively train community healthcare workers to perform clinical breast exams in remote areas?
Conclusion
The study demonstrated that a structured multiphase cascade-training model can effectively train community healthcare workers to perform clinical breast exams, potentially improving breast cancer detection in low-resource settings.
Supporting Evidence
- Significant improvements in self-reported confidence and CBE skills were observed after training.
- The median scores in post-training self-reported confidence improved by 20%.
- 46.2% improvement in CBE skills was noted after the training sessions.
- High scores in self-reported confidence and CBE skills were sustained more than one year later.
Takeaway
This study shows that we can teach local healthcare workers to check for breast cancer, which can help find problems earlier, especially in places where doctors are hard to reach.
Methodology
The study used a pre-and post-test design to evaluate the impact of a training intervention on healthcare workers' knowledge and skills in performing clinical breast exams.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from the evaluators being the same individuals who trained the healthcare workers.
Limitations
The study may have biases due to the Hawthorne effect and the evaluation was conducted by the same trainers who provided the education.
Participant Demographics
Participants included female healthcare workers from the Gilgit-Baltistan region, with varying levels of education and experience.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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