Predictors of health worker performance after Integrated Management of Childhood Illness training in Benin: a cohort study.

Background: Correct treatment of potentially life-threatening illnesses (PLTIs) in children under 5 years, such as malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea, can substantially reduce mortality. The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy has been shown to improve treatment of child illnesses, but multiple studies have shown that gaps in health worker performance remain after training. To better understand factors related to health worker performance, we analyzed 9,330 patient consultations in Benin from 2001-2002, after training one of the first cohorts of 32 health workers in IMCI.

Trends in health worker performance after implementing the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness strategy in Benin.

Objective: Training health workers to use Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines can improve care for ill children in outpatient settings in developing countries. However, even after IMCI training, important performance gaps exist. One potential reason is that the effect of training can rapidly wane.