New Avenues to Increase the Use of Skilled Birth Attendants in Ghana

摘要 候选 该提案的长期职业目标是让申请人成为一名独立的研究人员， 在设计和实施与人口以及孕产妇和新生儿相关的研究方面获得培训 撒哈拉以南非洲卫生政策。近期目标是完成拟议的培训计划， 包括以下目标：1）获得先进的定性和定量方法的研究技能 以便在撒哈拉以南非洲进行调查、焦点小组和参与者观察研究; 2） 将研究结果转化为撒哈拉以南非洲的临床实践方案; 3）建立与 撒哈拉以南非洲，以影响孕产妇-新生儿保健政策;和4）确保一个独立的 终身教职 职业规划的关键要素 职业计划侧重于加纳大学（UG），密歇根大学（UM）和 北卡罗来纳州大学（北卡罗来纳州），参加研讨会和科学会议并在会上发言。 教师导师，博士蒂姆约翰逊（UM）和理查德阿达努（UG），在加纳语领域的领先专家 妇女生殖健康委员会将参与执行研究和培训计划的所有方面。的 研究项目将允许在进行基于社区的研究，低成本可行性研究， 资源诊所设置，并使用准实验设计在检查程序的有效性。 研究项目 根据阿散蒂地区加纳一家地区医院的样本， 研究是：1）修改家庭救生技能（HBLSS）计划，供熟练的助产士使用 （HBLSS-M）在加纳临床环境中; 2）确定HBLSS-M在加纳的可行性;以及3） 确定接触HBLSS-M是否会增加加纳妇女对熟练助产士的使用， 分娩和改善分娩结果。为实现目标1，制定了一项有焦点小组的社区参与战略 设计将用于开发HBLSS-M，并获得服务社区的认可。为了满足目标 2.将培训五名熟练的助产士，以提供HBLSS-M，并评估可行性。为了实现目标3， 将采用两组比较设计（每组92名受试者）来确定HBLSS- 由10名助产士接生的产妇人数增加， 出生结果。据推测，接受HBLSS-M计划的育龄妇女将更多 有可能在熟练助产士的帮助下分娩， 对照组。 环境 作为世界上最重要的研究机构之一，UM提供了一个非常丰富的环境， 护理研究拟议的研究培训计划与UM国际倡议一致 由总统办公室牵头20多年来，UM一直寻求与 我们来自加纳的合作伙伴。UG是加纳七所公立大学中历史最悠久，规模最大的一所。它是由 西非最负盛名的大学它成立于1948年，作为黄金大学学院 海岸，最初是伦敦大学的附属学院，负责监督其学术 课程和授予的学位。它于1961年获得正式大学地位，现在有近30，000名学生。 在完成拟议的五年培训计划后，申请人将有能力进行 跨学科，高影响力的研究，传达专业助产士在撒哈拉以南非洲的作用。

Abstract Candidate The long term career goal of this proposal is for the applicant to become an independent researcher and to gain training in designing and implementing studies that are relevant to populations and maternal and newborn health policy in sub-Saharan Africa. The immediate goal is to complete the proposed training program that includes the following objectives: 1) to acquire research skills in advanced qualitative and quantitative methods in order to conduct surveys, focus groups, and participant-observation studies in sub-Saharan Africa; 2) to translate research findings into clinical practice protocols in sub-Saharan Africa; 3) to establish relationships in sub-Saharan Africa in order to influence maternal-newborn health policy; and 4) to secure an independent tenure-track faculty position. Key Elements of Career Plan The career plan focuses on coursework at the University of Ghana (UG), University of Michigan (UM) and the University of North Carolina (UNC) with participation and presentations at seminars and scientific meetings. The faculty mentors, Drs. Tim Johnson (UM) and Richard Adanu (UG), leading experts in the field of Ghanaian women's reproductive health, will be involved in all aspects of carrying out the research and training plan. The research project will allow for experiences in conducting community based research, feasibility studies in low resource clinic settings, and the use of quasi-experimental design in examining program effectiveness. Research Project Drawing on a sample from one Ghanaian District Hospital in the Ashanti Region, the overall aims of the research are to: 1) modify the Home-Based Life Saving Skills (HBLSS) program for use by skilled midwives (HBLSS-M) in a Ghanaian clinical setting; 2) establish the feasibility of the HBLSS-M in Ghana; and 3) determine whether exposure to the HBLSS-M increases Ghanaian women's use of skilled birth attendants for delivery and improves birth outcomes. To meet Aim 1, a community participation strategy with a focus group design will be used to develop the HBLSS-M and to get buy-in from the community being served. To meet Aim 2, five skilled midwives will be trained to deliver the HBLSS-M and feasibility will be assessed. To meet Aim 3, a two-group comparison design (92 participants in each group) will be used to determine whether the HBLSS- M, delivered by 10 midwives produces a greater number of deliveries with professional midwives and improves birth outcomes. It is hypothesized that child-bearing women who receive the HBLSS-M program will be more likely to deliver with skilled midwives and experience improved birth outcomes than the child-bearing women in the comparison group. Environment As one of the world's foremost research institutions, the UM provides an exceptionally rich environment for nursing research. The proposed research training plan is congruent with the UM international initiatives spearheaded from the President's Office. For more than 20 years, the UM has sought mutual engagement with our partners from Ghana. The UG is the oldest and largest of the seven Ghanaian public universities. It is by far the most prestigious university in West Africa. It was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast and was originally an affiliate college of the University of London, which supervised its academic programs and awarded degrees. It gained full university status in 1961, and now has nearly 30,000 students. After completion of the proposed five-year training program, the applicant will be well positioned to conduct interdisciplinary, high-impact research that conveys the role of professional midwives in sub-Saharan Africa.