The document summarizes a study that evaluated a two-day refresher training for 25 HIV lay counselors in Chongwe District, Zambia. The training aimed to refresh the counselors' skills and knowledge. Evaluation involved pre- and post-training testing of counselors' knowledge and testing skills. Results showed that the average knowledge test score increased significantly from 79% to 95% after training. Testing skills remained high, with 99.2% concordance between counselor and lab HIV test results. The training was effective in improving counselors' knowledge and skills and allowed their performance to be monitored.
This presentation was conceptualised and made by me as a part of my Summer training project work. The project was a real time activity carried out by the Public Health division of ASTRON Hospital & healthcare Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
This presentation was conceptualised and made by me as a part of my Summer training project work. The project was a real time activity carried out by the Public Health division of ASTRON Hospital & healthcare Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
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Join us as we discuss the drivers and processes of implementing a postgraduate nurse practitioner residency program at your health center, the benefits of implementing a postgraduate residency program, and the residency tracks for Family, Psychiatric/Mental Health, Pediatric, and Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners.
We will be joined by Charise Corsino, Program Director of the Nurse Practitioner Residency Program, and Nicole Seagriff, Clinical Program Director of the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program, from the Community Health Center Inc.
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An Evaluation Of A Refresher Training Intervention For HIV Lay Counsellors In Chongwe District
1. 204 Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS VOL. 8 NO. 4 DECEMBER 2011
Original Article
An evaluation of a refresher training intervention for HIV lay counsellors in Chongwe
District, Zambia
Charles Msisuka, Ikuma Nozaki, Kazuhiro Kakimoto, Motoko Seko, Mercy M S Ulaya, Gardner Syakantu
Abstract
To address a severe shortage of human resources for health, the Zambian Ministry of Health has begun to make use of lay counsellors
for HIV counselling and testing. However, their skills and knowledge rarely have been reviewed or refreshed. We conducted a two-day
refresher workshop for lay counsellors to review their performance and refresh their skills and knowledge. The objective of this study was
to evaluate the refresher training intervention for HIV lay counsellors in the rural district of Chongwe in Zambia. The two-day refresher-
training workshop was held in November 2009. Twenty-five lay counsellors were selected by District Health Office and participated in
the workshop. The workshop included: the opening, a pre-training exercise, lectures on quality assurance with regard to testing and
safety precautions, lectures on counselling, filling the gap/Q&A session, and a post-training exercise. In both the pre- and post-training
exercise, participants answered 25 true/false questions and tested 10 blood panel samples to demonstrate their knowledge and skill on
HIV counselling and testing. The average overall knowledge test score increased from 79% to 95% (p<0.001). At the baseline, knowledge
test scores in topic of standard precaution and post-exposure prophylaxis were relatively low (58%) but rose to 95% after the training
(p<0.001). The per cent agreement of HIV testing by lay counsellors with reference laboratory was 99.2%. Participants’ knowledge was
improved during the workshop and skill at HIV testing was found to remain at a high level of accuracy. Relatively weak knowledge of
standard precautions and post-exposure prophylaxis suggests that lay counsellors are at risk of nosocomial infections, particularly in the
absence of refresher training interventions. We conclude that the refresher training was effective for improving the knowledge and skills
of lay counsellors and provided an opportunity to monitor their performance.
Keywords: HIV, counselling and testing, lay counsellor, task-shifting, refresher training, Zambia.
Charles Msisuka is a District Medical Officer, Chongwe, Lusaka Province, Zambia.
Ikuma Nozaki is a Technical Officer, Department of International Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Japan. He was a Technical
Advisor on Rural ART Services to Zambian Ministry of Health, dispatched as a JICA Expert. He is currently registered as Takemi Fellow in International
Health, Harvard School of Public Health, USA.
Kazuhiro Kakimoto is a Professor, School of Nursing, Osaka Prefecture University. He was in Zambia as Short-time Expert for HIV Care Services.
Motoko Seko is a Technical Consultant for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan. She was an Advisor to the National AIDS Council,
Zambia, dispatched as a JICA Expert.
Mercy M S Ulaya is a PMTCT/VCT Specialist, National AIDS Council, Zambia.
Gardner Syakantu is a Director of Clinical Care and Diagnostic Services Department, Ministry of Health, Zambia.
Correspondence to: Ikuma Nozaki (i-nozaki@it.ncgm.go.jp or inozaki@hsph.harvard.edu)
Résumé
Afin de résoudre un problème de manque crucial de ressources humaines dans le secteur de la santé, le ministre de la Santé zambien
a commencé à faire appel à des conseillers non professionnels afin de fournir des conseils et un dépistage du VIH. Cependant, les
compétences et les connaissances de ces conseillés ont rarement été évaluées ou remises à niveau. Nous avons organisé un atelier de
remise à niveau sur deux jours, destiné aux conseillers non professionnels afin de leur permettre d’évaluer leur performance et de remettre
leurs compétences et leurs connaissances à niveau. L’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer l’intervention de formation de remise à niveau
destinée aux conseillers non professionnels dans ce district rural de Chongwe en Zambie. Cet atelier de remise à niveau et de formation
de deux jours s’est tenu en novembre 2009. Vingt-cinq conseillers non professionnels ont été sélectionnés par l’Office de la santé du
district et ont pris part à l’atelier. Celui-ci s’est composé des sessions suivantes: allocution d’ouverture, exercice préalable à la formation,
leçons sur l’assurance de la qualité en matière d’essai et de précautions de sécurité, leçons sur le conseil, session de rattrapage/Q&R,
et exercice de post-formation. Au cours de l’exercice préalable à la formation et de l’exercice de post-formation, les participants ont
répondu à 25 questions vrai/faux et ont testé 10 prélèvements sanguins afin de démontrer leurs connaissances et leurs compétences en
matière de conseil et de dépistage du VIH. Le résultat général moyen obtenu au test de connaissances est passé de 79% à 95% (p<0.001).
Au départ, les résultats du test de connaissances sur les questions de précaution standard et de prophylaxie post-exposition étaient
relativement faibles (58%) mais ont augmenté suite à la formation (p<0.001). Le pourcentage de réussite des essais de dépistage réalisés
par les conseillers non professionnels, en référence aux résultats obtenus en laboratoire, était de 99.2%. Les connaissances des participants
se sont améliorées au cours de l’atelier, et les compétences en matière de dépistage du VIH ont conservé un niveau de précision élevé.
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2. VOL. 8 NO. 4 DECEMBRE 2011 Journal des Aspects Sociaux duVIH/SIDA 205
Article Original
Introduction
With an adult prevalence rate of 14.3%, Zambia has been severely
affected by the HIV endemic (Central Statistical Office, 2007).
Beginning in 2006, Zambia rapidly expanded HIV counselling
and testing services, which are now available nationwide. As in
other African countries, however, one of the biggest obstacles
to expanded services in Zambia has been a shortage of human
resources for health (Brugha et al., 2010; Schatz, 2008; Tjoa et al.,
2010).
To address this problem of human resources, the Ministry of
Health introduced task-shifting among health care providers
(Ministry of Health, 2006a; Morris et al., 2009; Walsh, Ndubani,
Simbaya, Dicker, & Brugha, 2010). Task-shifting is the process
of delegating tasks from more specialised to less specialised
health workers and has been proposed as one of several possible
solutions to the African health sector’s significant human
resource shortage (Lehmann, Van Damme, Barten, & Sanders,
2009).
In the area of HIV counselling, community members have been
trained as ‘lay counsellors, enabling them to fill a role previously
assigned to health professionals. Lay counsellors are certified after
completing a 7-week national training package for psychosocial
counselling. The training package includes a 2-week theoretical
component followed by a 5-week supervised practical component.
The training covered HIV infection, appropriate values and
attitudes for counsellors, behaviour change communication,
psychosocial support, pre-test and post-test counselling, and
professional ethics. However, in the initial phase, performing the
actual HIV test was restricted to health professionals and the lack
of available medical professionals sometimes meant that clients
had to wait a long time for testing after they had received pre-test
counselling. This delay was thought to have caused an increase
in dropouts from counselling and testing. Therefore, a national
HIV testing algorithm using the finger-prick method for rapid
testing was formulated to accommodate the growing needs for
HIV testing (Ministry of Health, 2006b). This method allowed
non-medical staff to administer HIV tests.
JICA’s Integrated HIV and AIDS Care Implementation Project at
the District Level (JICA, 2006) has introduced this Zambia’s lay
counsellor policy as a pilot. However, as time passed, it recognised
that lay counsellors had few or no opportunities to refresh their
knowledge and skills after the initial training and certification.
Although the national training package for lay counsellors was
adopted and widely utilised, a standardized refresher-training
module has not been developed.
In addition, although Sanjana et al., (2009) reported that lay
counsellors with approved training can play a major role at health
facilities to provide counselling and testing services of quality,
the systematic monitoring of performance of lay counsellors was
lacking. The National Quality Assurance Strategy for Counselling
and Testing recommended the re-testing of 10% of specimens
using dried blood spots (DBS), on-site monitoring, and proficiency
testing using a panel of specimens with known reactivity(Ministry
of Health, 2007), thought it has yet to be fully implemented. The
strategy to monitor and evaluate the performance of lay counsellors
on a regular basis was required.
To monitor and refresh the skills and knowledge level of lay
counsellors, the Chongwe District Health Office (DHO) together
with The National AIDS Council (NAC), Virology Laboratory
in University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and the JICA project,
organised a 2-day refresher workshop for lay counsellors in
Chongwe. Pre- and post-training exams provided data on
participants’ skills and knowledge that were then used for
monitoring and supervision by DHO and NAC. The objective of
this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of refresher training
intervention to HIV lay counsellors in the rural district, Zambia.
Methods
Study site
Chongwe district is one of the 72 districts in Zambia; its district
capital is located about 50 km east of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.
The district currently has a population of approximately 200 000.
The adult HIV prevalence rate in Lusaka Province was estimated
to be 20.8% in 2007. Most of the 30 health facilities located in the
district, including a mission hospital, provide HIV counselling and
testing services. The DHO began using lay counsellors in 2003 on
a pilot basis.
Study participants and procedure
The refresher workshop was held in Chongwe district in
November 2009. Twenty-five participants were selected by the
DHO including at least one from each of the health facilities that
used lay counsellor. Health facilities were asked to send their most
active lay counsellor. The workshop included an opening, a pre-
training exercise, lectures on quality assurance in testing and safety
precautions, lectures on counselling, a filling the gap/Q&A session,
and a post-training exercise. Since there was no standardised
refresher-training module in Zambia, some training materials
from the National Counselling and Testing Training Curriculum
Une connaissance relativement faible des précautions standards et de la prophylaxie post-exposition suggère que les conseillers non
professionnels pourraient courir le risque de contracter des infections nosocomiales, en particulier en l’absence d’interventions de
formation de remise à niveau. Pour conclure, la formation de remise à niveau était efficace pour améliorer les connaissances et les
compétences des conseillers non gouvernementaux et permettait de suivre leur performance.
Mots clés: VIH, conseil et dépistage, conseiller non professionnel, délégation des tâches, formation de remise à niveau, Zambie.
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3. 206 Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS VOL. 8 NO. 4 DECEMBER 2011
Original Article
were adopted for lectures. The national trainers for psychosocial
counselling from the NAC facilitated the training.
To evaluate the knowledge of participants on HIV counselling
and testing, 25 true/false questions were developed based on
the national training module for psychosocial counselling and
had three components: counselling, HIV testing, and standard
precautions and post-exposure prophylaxis. Participants answered
the questions in 30 minutes in both the pre- and post-training
exercise sessions. Comparisons of scores between the pre- and
post-training sessions were performed using paired t-test. The
accepted level of significance was p<0.05.
To evaluate the skill at HIV testing, full-blood samples of known
panels prepared by the virology lab of UTH were used. Participants
re-tested the 10 panel samples during both the pre-training
exercise and post-training exercise sessions. Both screening test
kits (Abbott Determine®) and confirmatory test kits (Unigold®)
were made available for participants to select and perform
appropriate tests, as per the Zambian HIV testing algorithm. The
results of retesting were compared with those of UTH to calculate
the percent agreement of HIV testing results.
To better understand broader factors that could influence the
effectiveness of the lay counsellor system, participants were
also asked about their motivations and the obstacles to their
performance under normal circumstances.
Ethical consideration
Both the University of Zambia Research Ethics Committee and
Department of Public Health and Research, Zambian Ministry of
Health, reviewed the study protocol and gave ethical approval.
Results
Characteristics of participants
The median age of participants was 40 years (range: 22 - 53 years),
and the median educational level was grade 10 (range: 9 - 12 grade)
(Table 1). The median experience as a counsellor was 3 years
(range: 1 - 7 years), and the median number of clients per week
was 18 (range: 6 - 45). Of the 25 participants, 14 (56%) were male;
13 (52%) were farmers.
Evaluation of knowledge
All 25 participants completed both pre- and post-training exercise
questions. At baseline, the average percentage of correct answers
was 79% (Table 2). The average score in the HIV counselling
component was 85%. Some misunderstandings were reflected in
low scores in some areas, including the post-test counselling (60%
correct), counselling for children (48%), and keeping privacy of
clients (80%). Results in the HIV testing component (84% correct)
were similar. Areas of misunderstanding included the place to
prick fingers (60% correct), amount of blood needed for testing
(60%). An average knowledge score in the standard precautions
and post-exposure prophylaxis component (58%) was lowest of
the three evaluated areas. Of the 25 participants, only 7 (28%)
knew about the danger of recapping used needles, 9 (36%) knew
how to dispose of infectious waste, and 14 (56%) knew about post-
exposure prophylaxis.
Significant improvement was observed during the workshop,
especially in standard precautions and post-exposure prophylaxis.
The average percentage of correct answers rose to 95% from 79%
(p<0.001), and the average score in standard precautions and post-
exposure prophylaxis rose to 95% from 58% (p<0.001) after the
training.
Evaluation of skill at HIV testing
All 25 participants tested 10 full-blood panel samples in each pre-
and post-training exercise session. In total, this produced 500 HIV
testing results, of which 496 were concordant with the laboratory
result determined by UTH. The overall concordance rate was
99.2%. One participant accounted for all four of the conflicting
results, 2 were false positive and the other 2 were false negative. The
rate of false negatives was 0.8%, as was the rate of false positives.
Major misuses of testing equipment were not observed.
Lay counsellors’ motivations and obstacles to per-
formance
All 25 participants answered the questionnaire about motivations
and obstacles to performance. Twenty-three (92%) replied that
contributing to people’s health is a motivation for work, and 23
Table 1. Characteristics of participants
Median age (years)
Gender
Male
Female
Job
Farmer
Salaried employee
Homemaker
CDE in health facility
Other
Median educational level (Grade)
Median experience as counsellor (years)
Median number of clients per week
Motivation for working as counsellor
Respect from community
Happy to contribute to people’s health
Local people help my farm
Incentives
Other
Major challenges
Lack of knowledge
Relationship with health centre staff
Relationship with the community
Lack of supervision by health centre staff
Lack of incentives
Other
Important things for keeping motivation
Periodic opportunities to update knowledge
and skill
Incentives
Supervision by health centre staff or DHMT
members
Good relationship with community
Other
40
14
11
13
1
1
3
7
10
3
18
4
23
0
2
2
3
1
0
2
23
1
13
6
8
11
3
(22 - 53)
(56%)
(44%)
(52%)
(4%)
(4%)
(12%)
(28%)
(9 - 12)
(1 -7)
(6 - 45)
(16%)
(92%)
(0%)
(8%)
(8%)
(12%)
(4%)
(0%)
(8%)
(92%)
(4%)
(52%)
(24%)
(32%)
(44%)
(12%)
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4. VOL. 8 NO. 4 DECEMBRE 2011 Journal des Aspects Sociaux duVIH/SIDA 207
Article Original
(92%) answered that lack of incentives is major challenge, 13 (52%)
responded that periodic opportunities to update their knowledge
and skill are crucial to their continued work as lay counsellors.
Discussion
At baseline, we found comparatively high levels of knowledge in
HIV counselling and HIV testing and relatively weak knowledge
concerning standard precautions and post-exposure prophylaxis.
However, the training was able to increase knowledge overall,
particularly in standard precaution and post-exposure prophylaxis.
Although there is a possibility of ‘ceiling effect’, these improvements
were statistically significant and suggest the effectiveness of this
refresher training. A study among health care providers in Niger
revealed the positive association between attending refresher
courses and higher levels of knowledge (Adebajo, Bamgbala, &
Oyediran, 2003). The importance of refresher training courses
to maintain better knowledge levels has been widely recognised
(Bain, 1998; Sarker, Papy, Traore, & Neuhann, 2009; Zvandasara,
Magwali, Mulambo, & Sithole, 2006).
Skill at HIV testing among lay counsellors was found to be
satisfactory, which is consistent with results reported by other
investigators in Zambia (Sanjana et al., 2009). While many
have wondered at the quality of HIV testing done by members
of the community, the 99.2% HIV testing concordance rate
with panel samples in the current study provides support
for task-shifting initiatives in this area. The reasons for the
discrepancies were unclear, but the participant in question
Table 2. True/false questions and percentage of correct answers
Questions Percentage of correct
answers
Pre- Post
Counselling
1. It is important to develop a relationship with clients during pre-test counseling. (T) 96% 100%
2. Pre-test counseling helps clients make an informed decision. (T) 92% 100%
3. Clients who come to the CT centre are ready for an HIV test. Counselling is not mandatory and a
counsellor should go ahead and conduct the test. (F)
100% 96%
4. Couples counselling is not recommended since differing results may cause trouble. (F) 100% 100%
5. Post-test counselling is done during the time that the client is waiting for the test results. (F) 60% 76%
6. Children have the right to know their HIV status depending on their age, maturity, and level of
understanding. (T)
92% 100%
7. Counselling children is usually difficult because in counselling a counsellor is only allowed to counsel
a client for 45 minutes. (F)
48% 92%
8. With a non-reactive test result, a counsellor should not waste time with post-test counselling. (F) 92% 80%
9. Positive living helps a client to adopt safe practices and a lifestyle that aims to reduce the transmission
of HIV and improves the client’s quality of life. (T)
92% 100%
10. You should keep client privacy as much as possible during counselling. (T) 80% 100%
Average 85.2% 94.4%
HIV testing
1. It is very important to follow the standard operating procedures for HIV testing when you conduct
testing. (T)
100% 100%
2. The place to prick with a lancet for the‘finger-prick method’is off-centre of the fingertip. (T) 64% 96%
3. You should drop as much blood as possible for the testing kit. (F) 60% 92%
4. It is necessary to use a buffer solution when conducting HIV testing using the finger-prick method. (T) 96% 100%
5. With Determine, you should wait 15 minutes (and no longer than 60 minutes) before reading the results. (T) 92% 96%
6. It is very important to label the test strip with the client’s name or ID number. (T) 100% 100%
7. According to the national testing algorithm, if results are indeterminate, the counsellor should conduct
a third test, which is SD Bioline. (T)
80% 96%
8. It is possible for the first test result to be positive and the confirmation test result to be negative. (T) 80% 84%
9. If the line in the patient area is weak, you need to add more blood to the kit. (F) 64% 92%
10. The period from initial infection with HIV until antibodies are detected by a single test is called the
‘window period.’(T)
100% 100%
Average 83.6% 95.6%
Standard precaution and post-exposure prophylaxis
1. When you deal with blood, you should always protect yourself because blood can be infectious. (T) 100% 100%
2. Taking antiretrovirals (post-exposure prophylaxis) after needle-stick injury can reduce the risk of HIV. (T) 56% 88%
3. A used needle is dangerous so you should recap needles before throwing them away. (F) 28% 92%
4. There is a possibility of acquiring an infectious disease if blood splashes into the eyes. (T) 68% 100%
5. Everything you use for testing is infectious waste and therefore must be buried in the ground. (F) 36% 96%
Average 57.6% 95.2%
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5. 208 Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS VOL. 8 NO. 4 DECEMBER 2011
Original Article
was later followed-up by the DHO to improve his or her skills
at HIV testing.
Although ‘proficiency panel method’ was widely adopted and used
for external quality assurance programme, the complete process
of HIV testing, including pricking a finger with needle for blood
sample collection, could not be evaluated. According to field
observations, one of the reasons for false results was an inadequate
amount of blood sample since collecting enough blood is
sometimes difficult using the finger-prick method. To supplement
the evaluation of HIV skill, questions assessing knowledge of HIV
testing were included in the questionnaire.
A finding worth mentioning is that the low score for knowledge
of standard precautions and post-exposure prophylaxis during
the pre-test improved markedly post-testing by sparing some
time for reorientation during workshop. Some participants even
shared their experiences with needle-stick injuries but fortunately
none reported HIV infection as a consequence of these injuries.
Compared with professional health workers, lay counsellors are
involved in work that carries similar risks of physical injury but
are equipped with far less training. This fact highlights the need
to consider how to best protect lay counsellors and to teach them
to protect themselves. This challenge is likely to increase as task
shifting is adopted more widely.
Previous investigators reported a high prevalence of occupational
burnout among health staff in Lusaka district, Zambia (Kruse et
al., 2009). Retention of health care providers including community
volunteers is crucial for the successful continuation of existing
programmes. Downie, Clark, & Clemenston (2004) reported
that the motivation for volunteers involved in community health
could be classified into three categories: empathetic concern,
contribution to community life, and life-course issues and
personal development. As more than 50% of participants replied
that periodic opportunities to update their knowledge and skills
were crucial to their continued work, refresher workshops could
be an intervention to sustain the motivation of lay counsellors by
contributing to personal development.
Limitations of this evaluation included a small sample size,
potential participant selection biases, and the validity of true-
false questions that we used in pre- and post-training exercise
questions. We selected ‘active’ lay counsellors since this was the
first pilot of refresher training. One reason for such high levels of
knowledge and skill at baseline might be because these participants
were among the best. We do not have the data to determine
the representativeness of our sample. There were no validated
questions to evaluate the knowledge required for counsellors.
The low scores at baseline for knowledge on standard precautions
and post-exposure prophylaxis could relate to ambiguity in the
phrasing of those questions. Further investigations would be
required for evaluating the efficacy of training and validation of
questions.
Determining how to evaluate counselling skills was another
challenge in evaluating the performance of lay counsellors.
According to the National Quality Assurance Strategy for HIV
Counselling and Testing, regular site visits are recommended in
addition to observing counselling, client exit surveys, and the
use of mystery clients (Ministry of Health, 2007). Regular site
visits might help to maintain a high level of motivation among
lay counsellors, as 30% of participants indicated this in the
questionnaire.
Findings from our study revealed the effectiveness of the refresher
workshop. However, there was no standardised refresher-training
module in Zambia. To maximise refresher-training impact, a
standardised training module should be developed in line with
training needs for future expansion.
Conclusion
The levels of knowledge of participants were significantly improved
during the refresher-training workshop. HIV testing skills
among lay counsellors was found to satisfactory. Relatively low
levels of knowledge on standard precautions and post-exposure
prophylaxis suggest the need to consider how to best protect
lay counsellors. We conclude that the refresher training for lay
counsellors was effective for improving the knowledge and skills
of those counsellors and for monitoring their performance. We
recommend the development of a standardised refresher-training
module for improving the knowledge and skills of lay counsellors
in the future.
Acknowledgements
This study was financially supported by a Grant for International
Health Research from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and
welfare and was conducted in cooperation with JICA’s Integrated
HIV/AIDS care service implementation project at the district
level, which works together with the Zambian Ministry of Health
and Chongwe District Health Management Team. The analysis
was done with the support from the Takemi programme in
International Health at Harvard School of Public Health.
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