Long-Term Impact of Interprofessional Medical Mission Service Trips in Sierra Leone

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of capacity-building short-term mission service trips to Sierra Leone on local health education and perspectives.Methods: This was a prospective, mixed-methods study. During three mission trips between June 2017 and December 2019, health professional students taught multiple locally selected patient care-related topics. Local staff completed knowledge questionnaires and were surveyed or interviewed on mission service impact along with the cultural competence of missionaries. Mission team members completed the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) and surveys to determine their cultural competence.Results: After initial education, 90% passed the knowledge questionnaire with at least a 50% and the correct response rate was 57.9 vs. 66.7% after 6 months and 2.5 years, respectively (p = 0.40). Local staff ranked education/training as most valuable (84%) and highly desired (53%). Mean IES score and survey responses of both missionaries and local staff rated mission team cultural competence as average.Conclusions: Education-focused mission trips in Sierra Leone seem to have long-lasting benefits and a positive impact on local staff, though improved intercultural competence is needed.

Raising Capacity to Address Mental Health Concerns in Costa Rica

“…Our research adds to the paucity of short-term mission trips research by exploring not only the knowledge gained, similar to previous studies [9,10], but by exploring specific changes in the confidence of participants. Through our comparison of baseline confidence levels to the follow-up survey six months later, we were able to see the lasting positive impact of our IPE.…”

“…The needs of the community were assessed by asking the local health director and relying on Vida Volunteer staff to inform us directly. Similarly to previous studies addressing the long-term impacts of these types of trips [10], by identifying barriers from local providers and medical staff, we are able to inform the health community of patient needs, and by exploring other interests, we are able to potentially compound the benefits of continuing education through follow-up visits. One of the largest barriers participants noted was the lack of mental health resources in their area, as one participant expressed the "need for a psychologist or mental health nurse" and another stated the "need for a specialized center with capable personnel to resolve these (mental health) situations."…”

“…While direct patient care during a service trip provides an immediate clinical impact on the patients cared for [4], limited research was found regarding raising the capacity of local providers to address chronic health issues. Recent studies have hypothesized that a greater impact is made if the care provided revolves around the needs of the community [5], along with providing education to promote long-term education to patients as well as local providers [9,10]. In addition to education, exploring the perceptions of the patient's needs within the local community also provides a greater insight to address specific healthcare needs for future trips to the same area [11].…”

Capacity Building During Short‐Term Surgical Outreach Trips: A Review of What Guidelines Exist

“…Many groups have recently used the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) survey to address a lack of understanding in these areas. This scale ranks cultural competence on a scale of 1 to 7 and can be used to develop pre‐trip cultural preparation [70, 71]. Using tools such as the IES or including cultural competence preparation is important for professional development, as a lack of this preparation is likely to make professional development programming, or any other capacity building program, less impactful [48].…”

The World's consumption of free web‐based Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery educational resources: A global assessment of video usage trends

“…However, such data can be used in the context of global initiatives that have recently increased their focus on both immediately aiding in the performance of surgical procedures on short-term surgical trips and ushering long-term benefits through visiting providers extending education and surgical training. These efforts include the implementation of surgical curriculums, collaboration with government and nongovernmental agencies, and the development of residency programs [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Within this educational context of longitudinal surgical program growth in LMICs, these global partnerships provide ample opportunities for the inquiry, execution, and development of FOAM, especially in regard to the resource limitations of LMICs accessing traditional textbook or other paid educational media.…”