Rwandan primary healthcare providers' perception of their capability in the diagnostic practice.

Background: Skill-mix imbalance is a global concern for primary healthcare in low-income countries. In Rwanda, primary healthcare facilities (health centres, HCs) are predominantly led by nurses. They have to diagnose a multitude of health complaints.

Designing a Screening Program for Prevention of Avoidable Blindness in Iran through a Participatory Action Approach.

Purpose: To design a screening program for prevention of blindness at the community level in Iran.

Methods: In this qualitative study, the components and properties of the screening program were identified using a participatory action research method with focus group meetings (FGMs) with relevant health care providers and authorities. A content analysis approach was used for data analysis.

'He should feel your pain': Patient insights on patient-provider communication in Rwanda.

Background:  Patient-provider communication is an interpersonal interaction between a patient and a health care provider.

Objective:  This study explored patients' communication preferences and perceptions on what factors influence the patient-provider communication in primary health care settings in Rwanda.

Methods:  In-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals including 8 with limited literacy.

Measuring patient-provider communication skills in Rwanda: Selection, adaptation and assessment of psychometric properties of the Communication Assessment Tool.

Objective: To identify, adapt and validate a measure for providers' communication and interpersonal skills in Rwanda.

Methods: After selection, translation and piloting of the measure, structural validity, test-retest reliability, and differential item functioning were assessed.

Results: Identification and adaptation: The 14-item Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) was selected and adapted.

Providers' perceptions of communication with patients in primary healthcare in Rwanda.

Background: Delivery of effective healthcare is contingent on the quality of communication between the patient and the healthcare provider. Little is known about primary healthcare providers' perceptions of communication with patients in Rwanda.

Aim: To explore providers' perceptions of patient-provider communication (PPC) and analyse the ways in which providers present and reflect on communication practice and problems.

Development and validation of the ExPRESS instrument for primary health care providers' evaluation of external supervision.

Background: External supervision of primary health care facilities to monitor and improve services is common in low-income countries. Currently there are no tools to measure the quality of support in external supervision in these countries.

Aim: To develop a provider-reported instrument to assess the support delivered through external supervision in Rwanda and other countries.

Perceptions on evaluative and formative functions of external supervision of Rwandan primary healthcare facilities: A qualitative study.

Background: External supervision of primary healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries often has a managerial main purpose in which the role of support for professional development is unclear.

Aim: To explore how Rwandan primary healthcare supervisors and providers (supervisees) perceive evaluative and formative functions of external supervision.

Design: Qualitative, exploratory study.

The relationship between primary healthcare providers and their external supervisors in Rwanda.

Background: External supervision of Rwandan primary healthcare facilities unfolds as an interaction between supervisors and healthcare providers. Their relationship has not been thoroughly studied in Rwanda, and rarely in Africa.

Aim: To explore perceived characteristics and effects of the relationship between providers in public primary healthcare facilities and their external supervisors in Rwanda.

The Evolving Role of Physicians - Don't Forget the Generalist Primary Care Providers Comment on "Non-physician Clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Evolving Role of Physicians".

The editorial "Non-physician Clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Evolving Role of Physicians" by Eyal et al describes non-physician clinicians' (NPC) need for mentorship and support from physicians. We emphasise the same need of support for front line generalist primary healthcare providers who carry out complex tasks yet may have an inadequate skill mix.

A systematic review of supportive supervision as a strategy to improve primary healthcare services in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: It may be assumed that supportive supervision effectively builds capacity, improves the quality of care provided by frontline health workers, and positively impacts clinical outcomes. Evidence on the role of supervision in Sub-Saharan Africa has been inconclusive, despite the critical need to maximize the workforce in low-resource settings.

Objectives: To review the published literature from Sub-Saharan Africa on the effects of supportive supervision on quality of care, and health worker motivation and performance.

Novel p75 neurotrophin receptor ligand stabilizes neuronal calcium, preserves mitochondrial movement and protects against HIV associated neuropathogenesis.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) rapidly penetrates into the brain and establishes a persistent infection of macrophages/microglia. Activation of these cells by HIV results in the secretion of soluble factors that destabilize neuronal calcium homeostasis, encourage oxidative stress and result in neural damage. This damage is thought to underlie the cognitive-motor dysfunction that develops in many HIV-infected patients.

[Solutions to the global shortage of health workers].

The global shortage of health workers in a world with interdependence and vast inequalities in health calls for internationally coordinated context-sensitive actions to build a global health workforce of sufficient quantity and quality. This status article describes the global crisis in the health workforce and some solutions and stakeholders in play.

[Primary health care contributes to global health].

Global health interventions often focus on specific diseases, thus forming vertical programmes. Studies show that vertical programmes perform poorly, which underlines the need for a horizontal basis: universal community-based primary health care, which improves health equity and outcomes. The diagonal approach supports an integrated patient-centered health-care system.