Utilizing Task Shifting to Increase Access to Maternal and Infant Health Interventions: A Case Study of Midwives for Haiti

Abstract

The shortage of health workers worldwide has been identified as a barrier to achieving targeted health goals. Task shifting has been recommended by the World Health Organization to increase access to trained and skilled birth attendants. One example of task shifting is the use of cadres of health care workers, such as nurses and auxiliary nurse-midwives, who can successfully deliver skilled care to women and infants in low-resource areas where women would otherwise lack access to critical health interventions during the childbearing years. Midwives for Haiti is an organization demonstrating the use of task shifting in its education program for auxiliary midwives. Graduates of the Midwives for Haiti education program are employed and working with women in hospitals, birth centers, and clinics across Haiti. This article reviews the Midwives for Haiti education program and presents successes and challenges in task shifting as a strategy to increase access to skilled maternal and newborn care and to meet international health goals to reduce maternal and infant mortality in a low-resource country.

Satisfaction of a new telephone consultation service for prenatal and postnatal health care

“…Indeed, Calitri et al reported that patients managed by a nurse telephone triage consultation in general practice showed low levels of satisfaction . Conflicting evidence was found that trained nurses and midwives can successfully deliver skilled health care to women and infants and manage their complications as effectively, safely and on time as obstetricians . Trained nurse healthcare professionals may provide prenatal and postnatal healthcare management and impact future maternal and child well‐being.…”

Understanding factors affecting collaboration between midwives and other health care professionals in a birth center and its affiliated Quebec hospital: a case study

“…The purpose of shifting tasks is to share the care from one level of caregiver to another to increase access to care. By training nurses and auxiliary nurse-midwives and their collaboration successfully, skilled care is delivered to women and infants in low-resource areas in Haiti [31]. Previous study on obstetrical nurses’ intentions toward collaborating with midwives in Ontario, Canada, showed that the nurses had positive intentions to collaborate with midwives, however, behaving collaboratively needed to be supported by indicating positive outcomes of collaboration and increasing inter-professional interaction [32].…”

Considerations for Implementing Group‐Level Prenatal Health Interventions in Low‐Resource Communities: Lessons Learned From Haiti

“…Thus, Haiti has a critical need to increase prenatal care access. One group that is attempting to meet this need is Midwives for Haiti, a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality …”

“…Midwives for Haiti has increased access to care in rural areas by training skilled birth attendants and matwòns and performing over 500 prenatal examinations each month via mobile clinics in rural villages . To build upon these efforts, in 2014, Midwives for Haiti stakeholders sought to maximize utilization of resources by adapting an evidence‐based model of group prenatal care that could promote greater patient engagement, personal empowerment, and improved birth outcomes.…”

“…Midwives for Haiti has increased access to care in rural areas by training skilled birth attendants and matwòns and performing over 500 prenatal examinations each month via mobile clinics in rural villages. 10 To build upon these efforts, in 2014, Midwives for Haiti stakeholders sought to maximize utilization of resources by adapting an evidencebased model of group prenatal care that could promote greater patient engagement, personal empowerment, and improved birth outcomes. With these goals in mind, Midwives for Haiti collaborated with an interdisciplinary team ✦ Group prenatal care is an evidence-based strategy for improving perinatal outcomes; however, implementing such care in international resource-poor settings may be fraught with challenges.…”