Pitchalard Khanittha, Moonpanane Katemanee, Wimolphan Pawadee, Singkhorn Onnalin, Wongsuraprakit Sathit
School of Nursing, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Faculty of Nursing, Nation University, Lampang, Thailand.
Int J Nurs Sci. 2022 Jun 15;9(3):328-333. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2022.06.011. eCollection 2022 Jul.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of a peer-training program for village health volunteers (VHVs) to improve chronic disease management among older adults in rural Thailand.
The study was guided by community-based participatory research (CBPR). The peer-training program was developed by engaging diverse stakeholders, including community organizations, healthcare services, VHVs, older adults with chronic illnesses, and folk scholars in remote communities with high healthcare needs. The peer-training program comprised a three-day training workshop that convened once a week for three weeks with the following six sessions: knowledge sharing, peer support and empowerment, health literacy and health behavior, the general caring procedure for older adults with chronic illnesses, information sharing and communication, and home visit. From January to April 2021, a total of 28 VHVs completed the peer training program in a rural area in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. The Health Literacy and Health Behavior-3E2S (HLHB-3E2S), the Management of Non-Communicable Diseases Questionnaire (MNCDQ), and a self-confidence questionnaire were used to survey pre (week 1) and post-intervention (week 12), respectively. Then VHVs were interviewed to collect attitudes, and opinions about the intervention.
After the intervention, the HLHB-3E2S scores (49.39 ± 5.54 vs. 52.35 ± 4.26, = 0.001), the MNCDQ scores (44.10 ± 6.27 vs. 50.60 ± 4.84, < 0.001), and the self-confidence questionnaire scores (22.28 ± 2.46 vs. 23.21 ± 1.81, = 0.01) of VHVs significantly increased. VHVS also reported that the peer-training program enhanced their healthcare services, including health education, chronic disease management, leadership skills, and improving their relationship with healthcare providers.
Peer training programs are a practical strategy to improve VHVs' capacities.Healthcare professionals should provide a continuous training program for VHVs with their peers to increase capacities, confidence, and satisfaction in caring for the older adults with chronic diseases in the community.
本研究旨在调查一项针对乡村健康志愿者（VHV）的同伴培训计划对改善泰国农村老年人慢性病管理的效果。
本研究以社区参与式研究（CBPR）为指导。同伴培训计划是通过让包括社区组织、医疗服务机构、VHV、患有慢性病的老年人以及医疗需求高的偏远社区的民俗学者等不同利益相关者参与而制定的。同伴培训计划包括一个为期三天的培训工作坊，每周举行一次，共三周，包括以下六个环节：知识分享、同伴支持与赋权、健康素养与健康行为、慢性病老年人的一般护理程序、信息分享与沟通以及家访。2021年1月至4月，共有28名VHV在泰国清莱府的一个农村地区完成了同伴培训计划。分别使用健康素养与健康行为-3E2S（HLHB-3E2S）、非传染性疾病管理问卷（MNCDQ）和一份自信心问卷对干预前（第1周）和干预后（第12周）进行调查。然后对VHV进行访谈，收集他们对干预措施的态度和意见。
干预后，VHV的HLHB-3E2S得分（49.39±5.54对52.35±4.26，P = 0.001）、MNCDQ得分（44.10±6.27对50.60±4.84，P<0.001）和自信心问卷得分（22.28±2.46对23.21±1.81，P = 0.01）显著提高。VHV还报告说，同伴培训计划增强了他们的医疗服务，包括健康教育、慢性病管理、领导能力以及改善他们与医疗服务提供者的关系。
同伴培训计划是提高VHV能力的一种实用策略。医疗保健专业人员应与同伴为VHV提供持续培训计划，以提高他们在社区照顾慢性病老年人方面的能力、信心和满意度。
