title: The effectiveness of emergency obstetric care training in Kenya
Creators: name: Ameh, Charles
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2015

description: Background and introduction Maternal deaths are highest in low resource countries, skilled attendance at birth (SBA) and the availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) are key strategies to improve maternal health and achieve the millennium development goal number 5. In-service emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) training has been used for many years to improve the quality of skilled attendance at birth and availability of EmOC, however few packages have been properly described and evaluated. There is no published comprehensive evaluation of EmONC in-service training packages in low resourced countries. An evaluation of the effectiveness of an EmONC training intervention in 10 comprehensive EmOC Kenya hospitals was carried out from 2010-2011. Methods A systematic review was performed based on grading of recommendations assessments development and evaluation (GRADE) guidelines to identify the various EmONC training packages in low and middle income countries, identify literature on the effectiveness of these packages or effectiveness of various components of EmONC training globally. The components of the intervention were training in EmONC, provision of EmOC equipment and supportive supervision. The objective of the intervention was to improve the recognition and treatment of emergency obstetric and newborn complications at all study sites by trained maternity care providers (MCP). A before/after study design and an adapted four level Kirkpatrick framework (level 1: reaction to training, level 2: learning, level 3: behaviour/practice, level 4: EmOC availability, health outcomes and ‘up-skilling’) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training package. Mixed research methods (quantitative and qualitative approaches) were used to collect data 3 months before the intervention and at 3 monthly intervals after up to 12 months after the intervention. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 20 and qualitative data was analysed using Nvivo 9. Descriptive statistics and analysis using t-tests were performed for quantitative data (significance in mean difference at 95% confidence) while framework analysis was used for qualitative data. Results 20 EmONC in-service training programmes implemented in low and middle-income countries were identified. The content of 85% (17) of the programmes identified included EmOC signal functions and 7 programmes were 7 days or more in duration. 50% (10) of the EmONC training packages identified had training reports of which only two studies were evaluated at Kirkpatrick level 3 (behaviour) and there was no evaluation at level 4 (health outcomes) identified. Over 70% of all identified maternity care providers from all 10 hospitals were trained. 83% (328) of the 400 health care workers trained were midwives, 6% (26) were medical doctors, 2% (8) were clinical officers and 3% (11) were obstetricians. At 12 months post training the proportion of MCP trained in each hospital was at least 83% except for Nakuru PGH (23%) and Mbagathi GH (50%). Kirkpatrick level 1: About 95% (380) participants responded to level 1 assessment questionnaire. Trainees reacted positively to all lectures (n=11, mean score was 9.38/100, SD: 0.12) and breakout sessions (n=25, mean score was 9.33/10, SD: 0.14). Kirkpatrick level 2: There was a statistically significant difference between the pre and post training knowledge scores in all modules except preventing obstructed labour 0.10 CI (0.06-0.26) p=0.201. The mean difference between pre and post-test skill scores was statistically significant 3.5 CI (3.3-3.8) P