Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention

Objective: To assess the feasibility of CHWs to be oral health navigators and referral links within a local government area in Lagos state Nigeria. Methods: Prospective mixed methodology assessment of a cohort of 24 consenting CHWs in Mushin local government area in Lagos, Nigeria. Qualitative-FGDs...

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Príomhchruthaitheoirí: Dedeke, Aderonke Adewunmi, Galvin, Shannon R, Sofola, Oyinkansola
Formáid: Online
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Foilsithe / Cruthaithe: International Association for Dental Research (Nigeria Division) 2022
Rochtain ar líne:https://ajoh.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ajoh/article/view/126
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author Dedeke, Aderonke Adewunmi
Galvin, Shannon R
Sofola, Oyinkansola
author_facet Dedeke, Aderonke Adewunmi
Galvin, Shannon R
Sofola, Oyinkansola
author_sort Dedeke, Aderonke Adewunmi
collection OJS
description Objective: To assess the feasibility of CHWs to be oral health navigators and referral links within a local government area in Lagos state Nigeria. Methods: Prospective mixed methodology assessment of a cohort of 24 consenting CHWs in Mushin local government area in Lagos, Nigeria. Qualitative-FGDs to determine job description, willingness to provide oral health services in the community and set up referral links to the government owned dental clinic in the community. Quantitative- pre and post intervention assessments on knowledge of common oral health conditions and measurement of community oral health referrals, after a three-day training workshop on diagnosis and appropriate management of common oral diseases and proper referral systems. The main outcome measures were dental referral inflow from the community health workers and effect of intervention on knowledge of oral health diseases among the CHWs. Ethical approval was sought Results: All CHWs reported willingness to be oral health navigators, although only 33 patients were referred during the 5-month study period. Less than 30% of referred patients reported to hospital with varying reasons for poor attendance including perception of the hospital to which referral is being made. There was significant increase in the mean knowledge score among the CHWs (11.35±5.8) P=0.02. Conclusion: while CHWs indicated a willingness to act as oral health navigators, there is  need to create functional oral health and referral structures within the Nigerian healthcare system and create an oral health CHW cadre of incentivize the process for existing CHWs to help improve the feasibility of CHWs being oral health navigators.
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spelling oai:ojs2.ajoh.oauife.edu.ng:article-1262022-11-30T12:36:48Z Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention Dedeke, Aderonke Adewunmi Galvin, Shannon R Sofola, Oyinkansola Objective: To assess the feasibility of CHWs to be oral health navigators and referral links within a local government area in Lagos state Nigeria. Methods: Prospective mixed methodology assessment of a cohort of 24 consenting CHWs in Mushin local government area in Lagos, Nigeria. Qualitative-FGDs to determine job description, willingness to provide oral health services in the community and set up referral links to the government owned dental clinic in the community. Quantitative- pre and post intervention assessments on knowledge of common oral health conditions and measurement of community oral health referrals, after a three-day training workshop on diagnosis and appropriate management of common oral diseases and proper referral systems. The main outcome measures were dental referral inflow from the community health workers and effect of intervention on knowledge of oral health diseases among the CHWs. Ethical approval was sought Results: All CHWs reported willingness to be oral health navigators, although only 33 patients were referred during the 5-month study period. Less than 30% of referred patients reported to hospital with varying reasons for poor attendance including perception of the hospital to which referral is being made. There was significant increase in the mean knowledge score among the CHWs (11.35±5.8) P=0.02. Conclusion: while CHWs indicated a willingness to act as oral health navigators, there is  need to create functional oral health and referral structures within the Nigerian healthcare system and create an oral health CHW cadre of incentivize the process for existing CHWs to help improve the feasibility of CHWs being oral health navigators. International Association for Dental Research (Nigeria Division) 2022-11-30 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Peer-reviewed Article application/pdf https://ajoh.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ajoh/article/view/126 African Journal of Oral Health; Vol 11 No 1 (2022): Vol11No 1(2022); 13-21 0189-5710 0189-5710 eng https://ajoh.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ajoh/article/view/126/48 Copyright (c) 2022 African Journal of Oral Health
spellingShingle Dedeke, Aderonke Adewunmi
Galvin, Shannon R
Sofola, Oyinkansola
Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention
title Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention
title_full Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention
title_fullStr Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention
title_full_unstemmed Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention
title_short Community health workers (CHWs) as oral health navigators in a local government area in Lagos State: a pilot intervention
title_sort community health workers chws as oral health navigators in a local government area in lagos state a pilot intervention
url https://ajoh.oauife.edu.ng/index.php/ajoh/article/view/126
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