Capacity Building

ICTPH has a two-fold capacity building strategy – 1) develop evidence based protocols aimed at the provision of standardized primary care in community settings, 2) develop a bridge training program (IKP-BTP) that imparts essential skills to medical professionals (including AYUSH physicians) for practicing comprehensive primary healthcare in community settings.

The Reality of Human Resource in Healthcare

  • Availability: Only 6.5 physicians (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery – MBBS) and 10 nurses and midwives per 10,000 people. This is much below the WHO requirement of one physician per 1000 population.
  • Distribution: More than 65% of the population living in more than 6, 00, 000 villages spread across the country. However, 70% of physicians practice in peri-urban and urban locations.
  • Training: A significant portion of primary healthcare in rural settings is provided by medically untrained providers.

Clinical protocols for primary care

  • ICTPH developed clinical protocols and guidelines for primary care delivery in community settings in partnership with Penn Nursing and adapted these to the local Indian context under the supervision of MBBS doctors.
  • The list of conditions include major/ minor acute ailments like fever, upper respiratory tract infections, gastro-intestinal conditions (diarrhea, acidity), urological conditions, chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia as well as screening protocol for cervical cancer.
  • These protocols follow a systems based approach (respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, etc.) and were developed using the SOAP (Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan) format, a widely accepted method for evaluating and documenting healthcare information based on subjective data obtained from the patient or family; objective data acquired by observation, inspection or testing; assessment of patient’s past, present and future prognosis that contributes to the actual care plan.
  • Currently the protocol set includes 81 conditions; content revision and development is ongoing to include other primary care conditions.

IKP Bridge Training Program (IKP-BTP)

  • IKP-BTP is a strategy aimed at improving access to quality, trained medical professionals for remote rural populations.
  • The evidence-based primary care protocols, described above, would form the core of the IKP-BTP strategy. Also included would be training in public health, technology and communication to facilitate patient and community engagement.
  • The program strategy was developed in partnership with Penn Nursing and implementation experience at SughaVazhvu Healthcare.
  • Presently ICTPH is collaborating with Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry (jipmer.edu.in), one of India’s top medical schools, in reviewing the design of the program and making it comprehensive and ready for a wider launch.

Partnerships

  • Knowledge Partners: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry
  • Implementation Partner: SughaVazhvu Healthcare