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MEASURING THE USEFULNESS OF FAMILY PLANNING JOB AIDS FOLLOWING DISTRIBUTION AT TRAINING WORKSHOPS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2010

KATHERINE TUMLINSON ,
DAVID HUBACHER ,
JENNIFER WESSON  and
CHRISTINE LASWAY
KATHERINE TUMLINSON
Affiliation:
Family Health International, Durham, NC, USA
DAVID HUBACHER
Affiliation:
Family Health International, Durham, NC, USA
JENNIFER WESSON
Affiliation:
Family Health International, Kigali, Rwanda
CHRISTINE LASWAY
Affiliation:
Family Health International, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Summary

A job aid is a tool, such as a flowchart or checklist, that makes it easier for staff to carry out tasks by providing quick access to needed information. Many public health organizations are engaged in the production of job aids intended to improve adherence to important medical guidelines and protocols, particularly in resource-constrained countries. However, some evidence suggests that actual use of job aids remains low. One strategy for improving utilization is the introduction of job aids in training workshops. This paper summarizes the results of two separate evaluations conducted in Uganda and the Dominican Republic (DR) which measured the usefulness of a series of four family planning checklists 7–24 months after distribution in training workshops. While more than half of the health care providers used the checklists at least once, utilization rates were sub-optimal. However, the vast majority of those providers who utilized the checklists found them to be very useful in their work.

Type
Short Report
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 42 , Issue 5 , September 2010 , pp. 695 - 698
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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