Interventions to improve motivation and retention of community health workers delivering integrated community case management (iCCM): stakeholder perceptions and priorities

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 87; no. 5 Suppl; pp. 111 - 119
• Main Authors: Strachan, Daniel L, Källander, Karin, Ten Asbroek, Augustinus H A, Kirkwood, Betty, Meek, Sylvia R, Benton, Lorna, Conteh, Lesong, Tibenderana, James, Hill, Zelee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 01.11.2012
• Subjects: Case Management; Community Health Services; Community Health Workers - psychology; Databases, Factual; Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; Humans; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Motivation; Perception; Workforce
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0030

Despite resurgence in the use of community health workers (CHWs) in the delivery of community case management of childhood illnesses, a paucity of evidence for effective strategies to address key constraints of worker motivation and retention endures. This work reports the results of semi-structured interviews with 15 international stakeholders, selected because of their experiences in CHW program implementation, to elicit their views on strategies that could increase CHW motivation and retention. Data were collected to identify potential interventions that could be tested through a randomized control trial. Suggested interventions were organized into thematic areas; cross-cutting approaches, recruitment, training, supervision, incentives, community involvement and ownership, information and data management, and mHealth. The priority interventions of stakeholders correspond to key areas of the work motivation and CHW literature. Combined, they potentially provide useful insight for programmers engaging in further enquiry into the most locally relevant, acceptable, and evidence-based interventions.