141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

284734
A unique non-linear chw program framework for quality improvement

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM

Daniel Palazuelos, MD, MPH , Partners in Health, Boston, MA
Kyla Ellis
Dana DaEun Im, MPhil, MD Candidate
Matthew Peckarsky, MS , Monitoring, Evaluation & Quality, Partners In Health, Boston, MA
Dan Schwarz, MD
Didi Bertrand Farmer, MA
Ranu Dhillon, MD
Ari Johnson, MD
Claudia Orihuela
Jill Hackett, MSW, MBA
Junior Bazile, MPH, MD
Leslie Berman, MPH , Partners In Health-Inshuti Mu Buzima, Kigali, Rwanda
Madeleine Ballard
Raj Panjabi, MD, MPH
Ralph Ternier, MPH, MGSS
Sam Slavin
Scott Lee, MPA, MPhil, MD-PhD Candidate
Steve Selinsky, MD Candidate
Carole Diane Mitnick, ScD
The non-governmental organization Partners In Health (PIH) has developed a unique non-linear community health worker (CHW) program framework that, in the Freirian tradition of awareness building through facilitated contemplation, assists CHW program teams in analysis and quality improvement. Just as in medicine, linear practice algorithms and guidelines can form the basis of service delivery but they must also be complemented by “the art” of integrating technical skill, judgment, and adaptability in the face of change and uncertainty. These skills are taught through many mechanisms, including mentorship, modeling and reflection. The PIH framework, called 5-SPICE, was developed to provide a similar experience for CHW program implementers by giving them a means to develop deeper understandings of how their programs function in their particular contexts. 5-SPICE is an acronym for five essential elements that, when present and positioned to function harmoniously together, contribute to a high-impact CHW system:

Supervision, Partners, Incentives, Choice, Education.

Utilizing the metaphor of Chinese cooking, the framework's goal is to find a balance among several key elements in order to make an ever-better final product. Through facilitated discussions, during which participants evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of available inputs and on-site realities, the framework can be used as a brainstorming and reflection exercise, or as an academic exercise to set a quality improvement or research agenda.

The presentation will describe PIH's experience in developing, piloting, and refining 5-SPICE for CHW program development and support.

Learning Areas:
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate the Partners In Health 5-SPICE framework Identify how the 5-SPICE framework contributes a unique approach to implementing, improving, and studying a variety of CHW program types

Keywords: Community Health Programs, Assessments

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Director of the Partners In Health (PIH) Community Health Worker (CHW) Quality Improvement Task Force and the primary author of the 5-SPICE framework. I have years of experience in the field both developing and managing CHW programs. I have represented PIH at multiple national and international meetings on CHWs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.