Information needs of health care workers in developing countries: a literature review with a focus on Africa

Abstract

Health care workers in developing countries continue to lack access to basic, practical information to enable them to deliver safe, effective care. This paper provides the first phase of a broader literature review of the information and learning needs of health care providers in developing countries.A Medline search revealed 1762 papers, of which 149 were identified as potentially relevant to the review. Thirty-five of these were found to be highly relevant. Eight of the 35 studies looked at information needs as perceived by health workers, patients and family/community members; 14 studies assessed the knowledge of health workers; and 8 looked at health care practice.The studies suggest a gross lack of knowledge about the basics on how to diagnose and manage common diseases, going right across the health workforce and often associated with suboptimal, ineffective and dangerous health care practices. If this level of knowledge and practice is representative, as it appears to be, it indicates that modern medicine, even at a basic level, has largely failed the majority of the world's population. The information and learning needs of family caregivers and primary and district health workers have been ignored for too long. Improving the availability and use of relevant, reliable health care information has enormous potential to radically improve health care worldwide.

Meeting the Health Information Needs of Health Workers: What Have We Learned?

“…These challenges include lack of routine systems for seeking and sharing information, lack of high-quality and current information on relevant health issues, and lack of locally relevant materials and tools (Godlee & Pakenham-Walsh, 2004;Pakenham-Walsh & Bukachi, 2009). Without such basic information, the provision of quality services by health workers, the effective management of programs, and the use of evidence to formulate health policy all suffer.…”

Understanding Health Information Needs and Gaps in the Health Care System in Uttar Pradesh, India

“…Few studies have examined how health care workers define or obtain information, and, even more important, how they apply information in the course of their daily work (Kale, 1994). Pakenham-Walsh and Bukachi (2009), in a literature review of information needs of health care workers in developing countries, found that access to information is easier at the central levels of the health system, whereas workers at the subdistrict and grassroots levels have substantial unmet needs for information.Access to and use of information has recently been reshaped by the telecommunications revolution sweeping across resource-poor nations (Lucas, 2008). New technologies have provided opportunities that were inconceivable just a few years ago.…”

Creating Sustainable Financing And Support For Immunization Programs In Fifteen Developing Countries

“…Immunization was one of several thematic areas in the case of Kenya, where local governments achieved improvements within 100 days by engaging front-line workers in the planning process and providing them with clear goals and intensive monitoring and feedback. 17,18 Greater political accountability is also needed. 19 Properly done, decentralization transfers budgetary and fiscal control to regional and local officials.…”