There is no greater challenge to child survival in the developing world than malnutrition. Managing malnutrition is outside the realm of normal practice for healthcare professionals trained in western countries. As such, it needs to be something health professionals planning to work in the developing world context need to review regularly.
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Medical Missions 101
INSTRUCT, EDUCATE, PREPARE
Learning to be a doctor and clinican in Kenya is a bit different than in the USA, but the fundamentals of human character are not.
Using the Surgical Safety Checklist to Save Lives
The Alliance for Patient Safety estimates there are 7 million disabling surgical complications and 1 million surgical-related deaths worldwide each year. They identify three primary problems with surgical safety: 1) It is unrecognized as a public health issue.
There is a lack of data on surgery and outcomes (especially in developing countries). There is a failure to use existing safety know-how.
Facilitating Empowerment of Local Healthcare Systems
One point I have tried to make over the years is that global health programs will build confidence in the local health workers, or they will diminish it. The amount of direction and ownership that the local health system has over the global health project determines the resulting outcome.
The Church and Global Access to Health Care
Christian Mission hospitals and health programs account for about 50% of all healthcare delivered in Sub-Saharan Africa (Olivier, et al., 2015). That figure is probably closer to 70% of the truly functional healthcare services delivered. Sadly however, many of these facilities have closed, those that remain are fighting for survival.
Creating Empowering Cross-cultural Partnerships
Creating empowering partnerships cross-culturally that are based on mutual design sounds easy, but nothing could be further from the truth. Mutual design based on community participation is one of the most difficult and complex aspects of designing and implementing global health initiatives. Avoiding Manipulation in Community Development If done well,
Ensuring Safe Short-term Surgical Initiatives
Ensuring adherence to clinical practice guidelines, clinical pathways, and other evidence-based recommendations could not have more value than it does in short-term surgical initiatives. Few if any global health initiatives have as much to offer as surgical initiatives, however they also represent the highest potential for adverse outcomes.
Short-term Surgical Missions: How can we make them safe for patients?
Are we prepared to care for surgical patients in developing countries. Have we thought about the challenges of operating on malnourished children, the delayed healing process from poor nutrition, need for longer post operative admission because patients will often need to walk home, or be transported long distances across challenging terrain etc.
Community Assessment
In designing and planning global health initiatives, figuring out who the stakeholders are is a critical first step. Each community has leaders and influencers, and those involved in healthcare are critical for this kind of project. Partnership begins with identifying stakeholders and assessing their needs.
Something is Better Than Nothing; Right?
I believe patient safety is an achievable goal in medical missions, even in short-term work. But how?
Medical Missions 101 Archive
INSTRUCT, EDUCATE, PREPARE
September 21, 2018
Using the Surgical Safety Checklist to Save Lives
September 11, 2018
Facilitating Empowerment of Local Healthcare Systems
September 3, 2018
The Church and Global Access to Health Care
August 31, 2018
Creating Empowering Cross-cultural Partnerships
August 27, 2018
Ensuring Safe Short-term Surgical Initiatives
August 20, 2018
Community Assessment
July 30, 2018
Something is Better Than Nothing; Right?
July 24, 2018
