Implementation of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes Model for Hypertension Education of Frontline Health Care Workers in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria: Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Evaluation

TL;DR

A hypertension education program for Nigerian healthcare workers was evaluated and found to improve knowledge and be useful, though challenges like connectivity and workload were noted.

Contribution

The study evaluates the implementation of a hypertension ECHO program for community health workers in Nigeria using mixed methods.

Findings

1407 participants attended the ECHO sessions, with over 97% finding the sessions useful.

Postsession knowledge scores increased by 2.3%-10.5%, indicating moderate effectiveness.

Most healthcare workers applied the learned information to patient care, but barriers like network connectivity and clinical demands were reported.

Abstract

The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model was adapted for hypertension education of community health extension workers in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, and delivered as a 7-part series.

This study aims to evaluate implementation outcomes of the hypertension ECHO series mapped to the first 3 levels of the Kirkpatrick model. Outcomes included reach, appropriateness (level 1), effectiveness (level 2), and penetration (level 3).

From August 2022 to April 2023, 7 hypertension ECHO sessions were delivered via Zoom (Zoom Video Communications, Inc) to a health care worker audience including targeted community health extension workers at 12 primary health centers (PHCs) in the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria Program. Health care workers provided demographic information, engaged in pre- and postsession knowledge quizzes, and shared feedback during live sessions. Surveys were sent to health care workers at 12 PHCs approximately 1 month after each session to ask about the use of the presented material and focus group discussions were performed with these health care workers after the ECHO program concluded. Qualitative and quantitative results were evaluated using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design wherein qualitative data were used to help explain outcomes and variability among participants.

Across 7 ECHO sessions, a total of 1407 live participants were documented. Participants largely found the program was acceptable, with more than 97% of respondents reporting that the session was useful. Postsession knowledge scores increased (range: 2.3%-10.5%) relative to presession scores demonstrating moderate effectiveness. Among 12 PHCs, most (more than 70%) health care workers applied information learned in each session to provide patient care. In 6 focus group discussions, with 31 health care workers (n=15; 48% community health extension workers), participants reported that network connectivity and clinical demands were barriers to live participation and expressed preferences for blended training and asynchronous resources.

Results show that a hypertension ECHO program adapted for community health extension workers effectively increased knowledge among participants and was useful to a majority. Insights gained may inform the scaling of remote hypertension education programs for community health extension workers in similar settings.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04158154; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04158154

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