Role of Telemedicine in Guiding Rural Emergent Neurosurgical Care

Teleneurosurgery can play a vital role in the care of patients in hospitals and community health settings where neurosurgical expertise is not available. The combination of audiovisual interaction of a neurosurgeon with the emergency physician, the patient and the patient’s family, combined with an intense education program delivered to the originating site care team, has greatly enhanced the appropriate triage of patients in community hospitals. The result is better patient care, improved patient and family satisfaction, cost savings, and the retention of patients within the local community care system, as well as the improved sustainability of the wider health delivery system. To succeed, start-up financial support is often needed to provide the required technical elements and 24/7 neurosurgical availability.

Natural Recovery and Supportive Community Networks

The natural recovery process of “maturing out” appears to be an active process of renewal and growth, leading to transformative growth that involves the individual’s body, mind, and spiritual dimensions. If spontaneous or “maturing out” recovery accounts for about 4 to18% of the alcohol and other drug (AOD) challenges to the field of behavioral health treatment, how does one effectively partner with the other 82% who have alcohol and other drug issues? To answer this concern, we must ask a few more questions. (1) What developmental factors influence growth? (2) What social determinants of health enhance recovery? (3) What is a supportive community network? and (4) What constitutes evidence-based practice? When one only looks at the biological reasons for behavioral health challenges, the assumption is that getting well and overcoming deficiencies is a function of the individual rather than the system of care. This kind of narrow perspective has contributed to a behavioral health delivery system that continually struggles to provide an integrated, comprehensive care model. This restrictive thought process undermines individuals’ confidence to change and is unduly dismissive of community leaders’ efforts.

Community Health Delivery System in Ituri Province the Democratic Republic of Congo

WHO reports in 2010 that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) private health sectors stepped to filling up health system delivery by lack of state health care provision? In DRC's state-building many NGOs and government partners interacted in multiple arenas with multiple stakeholders' health policies are presented is a need to conclude that a lot of improvement more efforts and resources are required (WHO, 2010). NGOs and governmental states share the common interest of providing health services, but their institutional interests vary. Though independent, health actors interact in a variety of ways to solve public health problems in the DRC. Through longstanding patterns of interactions regarding processes, state and non-state partners have developed a de facto networked health sector governance that accounts for the survival of the fragile health DRC context.

Methodology for Development of a Community Level Intervention Module for Physical Illness in Persons with Mental Illness (CLIPMI)

Background and Objectives: Medical illnesses seen in persons with psychiatric disorders are important but often ignored causes of increased morbidity and mortality. Hence, a community level intervention program addressing the issue is proposed. Materials and Methods: Patients with severe mental illnesses will be identified by a door-to-door survey and assessed for comorbid physical illnesses like anemia, hypertension, diabetes, and so on. They will then be randomized into two groups. The treatment as usual (TAU) group will not receive intervention from the trained community level workers, while the Intervention group will receive it. Results: The two groups will be compared for the prevalence and severity of comorbid physical illnesses. The expected outcome is compared to the TAU group, the intervention group will have a greater reduction in the morbidity due to physical illnesses and improved mental health. Conclusion: If successful, the module can be incorporated into the community level mental health delivery system of the District Mental Health Program (DMHP).

Effective Community Mobilization: Lessons Learnt from Implementing the Integrated Care Model in Zimbabwe

Globally, there has been a heated debate on the effectiveness of community mobilization in improving maternal and child health outcomes. Sustainable Development Goal number three aims at attaining Universal Health Coverage to improve health outcomes to the most marginalized and vulnerable populations. This paper outlines the key lessons that we learnt from the implementation of a novel community mobilization model, the Integrated Care Model (ICM) in Zimbabwe. The keys lessons were: To determine effect of community models, set parameters of measuring the effect at protocol development. Effective community mobilization in maternal and child health needs saturation coverage. Meaningful community engagement is critical throughout the mobilization cycle. Community Health Workers derive motivation from different things that are cheap and cost-effective. Community models should be integrated into the mainstream health delivery system for sustainability. Community models should be integrated into the mainstream health delivery system for sustainability. Participatory facilitation approaches yield better results that lectures in community health promotion. Community Health Workers should have comprehensive kits that are continually replenished for effectiveness in early diagnosis and treatment of childhood illnesses We conclude that integration of the ICM model into the main health delivery system ensures the consistent transference of correct knowledge and skills for better maternal and child health. The Government of Zimbabwe and other developing countries should consider implementing such an approach in their respective community health strategies in order to reduce preventable child morbidity and mortality.