Evaluation of care access and hypertension control in a community health worker driven non-communicable disease programme in rural Uganda: the chronic disease in the community project

This study aimed to evaluate consistency of access to care and quality of hypertension control in a community health worker led, decentralized non-communicable disease programme operating in rural Uganda. Days between clinical evaluations and average systolic blood pressure were described for programme patients; these markers were also compared with patients seen in a central, hospital-based clinic. In 2013, community health worker programme patients were seen every 35.6 days and significantly more often than clinic patients (50.8 days, P < 0.001). From October to December 2013, hypertensive patients in the community health worker programme had a mean systolic blood pressure of 147.8 mmHg. This was lower than the average systolic pressure of clinic patients (156.7 mmHg, P < 0.001). Programme patients’ blood pressures were also more frequently measured at below goal than clinic patients (71.2 vs 59.8%, P = 0.048). Decentralizing care and shifting significant clinical management responsibilities to community health workers improved consistency of access to care and did not come with a demonstrable cost in quality of hypertension control. Community health workers may have the potential to bridge the provider gap in low-income nations, providing expanded non-communicable disease care.
Source: Health Policy and Planning - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research