OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop and execute the village heath worker(VHW) training program which based on short term overseas medical volunteer and medical mission. METHODS: Through case studies of previous VHW program and review articles about the state of medical volunteer and medical mission, we developed the VHW training program. Pilot test of the program was carried out in Tugeugarao city, Phillipines on July, 2008. The subject were 32 persons from 15 villages around Tuguegarao city. After training we surveyed regarding the satisfaction of training and the degree of getting knowledge and skills. RESULTS: Through article review, we got the common subjects of previous VHW training program and the limitations of overseas medical volunteer and medical mission. We developed VHW training program aiming to community health promotion through community participation and community change. The main text was "Where There Is No Doctor" of Hesperian Foundation. The program executed through 1 day intensive lecture and practice. The satisfaction of the program was 8.95+/-1.70 on 10 point rating scale. CONCLUSIONS: We strongly expect VHW training program can be available as new model of short overseas medical volunteer as well as medical mission if we could systemize it with the confirming subject before training, management after training and continuous support through connection with the field.
Community Health Workers ; Consumer Participation ; Health Education ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Missions and Missionaries ; Philippines ; Primary Health Care

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to identify successful strategies and propose a community-based participatory global health project model for primary health care capacity development. METHODS: The study used case study methodology. A unit of analysis was an international cooperation health project entitled "Community-based Primary Health Care Improvement in San Lorenzo, Ecuador" using community-based participatory research conducted in 2007~2008. Data were collected through windshield surveys, focus group discussion, and provider surveys. RESULTS: Identified successful strategies for the international cooperation health project were reciprocal partnerships between researchers and community, partners' capacity building, south-to-south cooperation, and continuous monitoring and feedback. Community participation was found to be an essential tenet to guarantee the improvement of primary health care in the underserved rural community. Evidence from the activities of community health practitioners in Korea was applicable to the development of training programs for primary health care providers in Ecuador. CONCLUSION: Strategies for primary health care capacity development may be tailored depending on socio-cultural, political, and economical situations of each country. The model, however, would be applicable to the entire process of community-based global health projects in underserved rural communities of other countries.
Capacity Building ; Community-Based Participatory Research ; Consumer Participation ; Ecuador* ; Education ; Focus Groups ; International Cooperation ; Korea ; Primary Health Care* ; Rural Population*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the performances and limitations of health community building project of 148 village in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul on community health organization perspective. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using both a systematic review of this project and in-depth interviews with the operators who had worked for the project from January 2012 to December 2012. RESULTS: In this project, activists worked by gathering the opinions of the residents and focusing on their growth. The residents themselves established a community health care plan. Based on social determinants of health, they continued projects to solve residents' needs. A variety of programs were activated by providing a health cafe, which was an alternative public participation health promotion space that was not a clinic or a public health center. As the various entities gathered, there were difficulties related to interests and role sharing, and there were limitations such as the fact that the performance and limit of the pilot project could not be clearly predicted beforehand. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggested that new possibility of health and medical movement, approaching health issues by the way of community organization principle. Through the health community building project as community health organization perspective is expanded, health promotion effect will be created in the whole society.
Community Health Services ; Consumer Participation ; Health Promotion ; Pilot Projects ; Public Health ; Residence Characteristics ; Seoul ; Social Capital ; Social Determinants of Health

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) professional periodontal care program model for patients with hypertension and diabetes. METHODS: This descriptive case study included 151 participants of the professional periodontal care program. The CBPR-based professional periodontal care program consists of 5-steps: ‘Issue identification and prioritization’ (Step 1), ‘Strategy development’ (Step 2), ‘Entry into community’ (Step 3), ‘Implementation’ (Step 4), and ‘Transition’ (Step 5). Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency analysis, and descriptive data with PASW 23.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The results of the Focus group interview (FGI) were classified as ‘general opinions regarding the program planning and operation receptiveness’, ‘sustainability’, ‘potential spread of the program’, and ‘improvement of program’. The interviews were qualitative research involving seven people. RESULTS: 1. Participants increased their interest in health and oral health by managing their hypertension, diabetes, and periodontal disease using community resources. Through this, healthy practices and improved awareness helped to prevent complications and manage periodontal diseases. 2. Community organizations actively cooperated, resulting in positive changes in oral health practices (increased registration of patients in education centers for hypertension and diabetes, and increased number of patients visiting the local dental clinic). In the future, it was positive to participate in the program continuously. CONCLUSIONS: The most important step is ‘Entry into community’, which has led to active participation and cooperation of community organizations and participants. Therefore, community organizations and strategy development should be discussed, and the role of community leaders should be emphasized to build cooperative relationships. In addition, participation in and collaboration with health-based projects should be achieved through a search of various community organizations.
Chronic Disease ; Community-Based Participatory Research ; Consumer Participation ; Cooperative Behavior ; Education ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Oral Health ; Periodontal Diseases ; Qualitative Research

OBJECTIVES: To assess the current public participation in-local health policy and its implications through the analysis of policy networks in health center programs. METHODS: We examined the decision-making process in sub-health center installations and the implementation process in metabolic syndrome management program cases in two districts ('gu's) of Seoul. Participants of the policy network were selected by the snowballing method and completed self-administered questionnaires. Actors, the interactions among actors, and the characteristics of the network were analyzed by Netminer. RESULTS: The results showed that the public is not yet actively participating in the local public health policy processes of decision-making and implementation. In the decision-making process, most of the network actors were in the public sector, while the private sector was a minor actor and participated in only a limited number of issues after the major decisions were made. In the implementation process, the program was led by the health center, while other actors participated passively. CONCLUSIONS: Public participation in Korean public health policy is not yet well activated. Preliminary discussions with various stakeholders, including civil society, are needed before making important local public health policy decisions. In addition, efforts to include local institutions and residents in the implementation process with the public officials are necessary to improve the situation.
Community Networks ; *Consumer Participation ; Decision Making ; *Health Policy ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Metabolic Syndrome X/prevention & control ; Program Development ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Children in migrant villages in Kyrgyzstan have a high incidence of anemia and need effective health promotion programs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a pilot study of a health promotion project for infants and toddlers based on community participation.METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. The project was carried out by nurses at a public health center, community health workers, and local residents in a migrant village. After the operational system of the project was established, health assessments, child-care education, provision of vouchers for iron supplements, and activities to improve residents' awareness were conducted during 6 months among 100 children, of whom 85 were finally analyzed.RESULTS: In international health projects, close cooperation of the project team with community residents and health workers is important. Access to the community-based program was feasible in the socially and economically poor migrant village, and improvements were shown in children's anemia and awareness of health care.CONCLUSION: By focusing on the effective aspects of this preliminary project, plans to utilize community health workers and promotion strategies can be added to the main project to improve health promotion among children in this area.
Anemia ; Child Health ; Child ; Community Health Centers ; Community Health Workers ; Community-Based Participatory Research ; Consumer Participation ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Iron ; Kyrgyzstan ; Pilot Projects ; Program Evaluation ; Public Health ; Retrospective Studies ; Transients and Migrants

BACKGROUND: As part of their requirements for Family Medicine rotation, the postgraduate interns (PGIs) are required to construct and present a family case report. Each team of PGIs, led by a family medicine (FM) resident, identifies a family to be enrolled in the Family Health Care Program. Although this has been ongoing for years, no feedback mechanism has yet been established.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the learning experiences and insights of PGIs in constructing and presenting a family case report during their rotation in the Family and Community Medicine.
METHODS: A survey questionnaire, consisting of 10 items, was given to the respondents. The respondents took as much time as they needed to complete the survey.
RESULTS: Overall, the results revealed that the construction and presentation of Family Case Reports provided the PGIs an avenue to practice certain competencies required in primary care setting such as patient engagement, health promotion and family oriented care. Critical thinking skills as well as patient-doctor communication were enhanced during this activity. However, a good number of PGIs resounded their sense of inadequacy and uneasiness with the application and interpretation of family assessment tools. They perceived this to be a main hindrance in coming up with the best possible case report.
CONCLUSION: The family case report remains to be a unique and productive learning endeavor for PGIs assigned in the Department of Family Medicine.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Community Medicine ; Family Health ; Patient Participation ; Family Practice ; Physician-patient Relations ; Primary Health Care ; Health Promotion

1. Contribution of community medicine to prevention of blindness. Efforts to prevent blindness have been made by health agencies in many countries and have made great contribution in preventing needless loss of sight from various causes. 1) By requiring the administration of silver nitrate to prevent sore eyes in babies, the incidence of ophthalmia neonatorum has dropped remarkably. 2) By requiring blood tests for syphilis for both the prospective bride and groom before marrage, the incidence of blindness due to syphilis has been dropped. 3) By checking the overuse of oxygen among premature babies in newborn nurseries, blindness due to retrolental fibroplasia was greatly reduced. 4) Blindness due to hereditary factors has been prevented by giving genetic counseling. 5) Occupational or industrial health programs have contributed in preventing blindness due to poisons or injuries which are likely to occur in the industrial setting. 6) Effective communicable disease control has resulted in a decrease in blindness. 7) Effective nutritional programs have contributed to the prevention of blindness from nutritional deficiencies. 8) Eye screening resulting in early detection and treatment in schools was a great help in reducing blindness. 2. Recommendations for prevention of blindness. 1) Active community health education programs should be instituted. 2) Training of health professions in prevention of blindness should be strengthend. 3) Community participation in the programs for early detection, diagnosis and treatment should be encouraged by stimulating the community.
Blindness* ; Communicable Disease Control ; Community Medicine* ; Consumer Participation ; Diagnosis ; Genetic Counseling ; Health Education ; Health Occupations ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Malnutrition ; Mass Screening ; Nurseries ; Occupational Health ; Ophthalmia Neonatorum ; Oxygen ; Poisons ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Silver Nitrate ; Syphilis

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to explore customer royalty and the related factors. METHODS: 900 households(a 1% sample) were randomly selected from the total population of K city located in Kangwon province. An interview survey was performed with using a structured questionnaire for the subjects(923 persons) who had used medical service during the year before the survey, and the survey was done September, 2002. RESULTS: When comparing the relating factors related with customer royalty according to the sociodemographic characteristics, the older group showed a significantly higher level of recognition for service quality, service reputation, internal customers.attitudes and switching cost. The lower income group showed a higher level of recognition for service quality, service image and switching cost. The lower educated group showed a higher level of recognition for service reputation, service image and internal customers.attitudes. The higher educated group showed a higher level of recognition for perceived risk, and seeking variety. In addition, the expert group or the service and manufacturing workers group showed a higher level of recognition for service involvement. On multiple regression analysis, internal customers' attitudes, service image, service reputation, service quality, switching cost, and substitutability showed significant relations with customer loyalty. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that customer loyalty was significantly influenced by service factors like internal customers' attitudes, service image, service reputation, and service quality, and by market factors like switching cost, and substitutability. The results of this study can be used as a baseline for developing strategies to create and keep customers with high loyalty.
Adult ; Consumer Participation ; Female ; Health Care Surveys ; *Health Services ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Patient Satisfaction ; *Urban Population

BACKGROUND: Community-managed health programs (CMHPs) were designed to promote community self-determination in addressing health needs, but there is a need to evaluate how CMHPs can lead to better outcomes while accommodating changes in the national health system, which requires analysis of current CMHP interventions, institutional and community readiness, and points of interface with other health facilities.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: This preliminary study aimed to guide an eventual effort to develop a framework to ensure CMHPs sustainably improve health outcomes. A preliminary analysis of results from a community participatory research was done in which baseline health characteristics, related social determinants, level of involvement of CMHPs with the local government health system, and quality of life were documented through surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews, both in a community with an established CMHP (Murcia, Negros Occidental, Philippines), and a control area without a similar NGO sector (Isabela, Negros Occidental).

RESULTS: There was higher NGO and local government involvement among respondents in Murcia, use of traditional medicine, and sense of awareness of the need to improve the water quality in Murcia, with noted persistence of sanitation concerns, pinpointing the need to assess community participation and the efficiency of CMHPs.

CONCLUSION: Further study is needed in measuring community participation while considering its underlying cultural and socioeconomic contexts, in order to facilitate planning and implementation of strategies that intend to address community-recognized health needs while sustainably improving health outcomes.

Human ; Community Participation ; Health ; Philippines