Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare level

Objective To explore healthcare providers’ perspective on non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and management services provided through the NCD corners in Bangladesh and to examine challenges and opportunities for strengthening NCD services delivery at the primary healthcare level.Design We use...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Syed Masud Ahmed, Tuhin Biswas, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam, Lal B Rawal, Kie Kanda, Md. Imtiaz Tanim, Prakash Poudel, Andre M N Renzaho, Abu S Abdullah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-10-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e029562.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849220320352796672
author Syed Masud Ahmed
Tuhin Biswas
Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam
Lal B Rawal
Kie Kanda
Md. Imtiaz Tanim
Prakash Poudel
Andre M N Renzaho
Abu S Abdullah
author_facet Syed Masud Ahmed
Tuhin Biswas
Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam
Lal B Rawal
Kie Kanda
Md. Imtiaz Tanim
Prakash Poudel
Andre M N Renzaho
Abu S Abdullah
author_sort Syed Masud Ahmed
collection DOAJ
description Objective To explore healthcare providers’ perspective on non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and management services provided through the NCD corners in Bangladesh and to examine challenges and opportunities for strengthening NCD services delivery at the primary healthcare level.Design We used a grounded theory approach involving in-depth qualitative interviews with healthcare providers. We also used a health facility observation checklist to assess the NCD corners’ service readiness. Furthermore, a stakeholder meeting with participants from the government, non-government organisations (NGOs), private sector, universities and news media was conducted.Setting Twelve subdistrict health facilities, locally known as upazila health complex (UHC), across four administrative divisions.Participants Participants for the in-depth qualitative interviews were health service providers, namely upazila health and family planning officers (n=4), resident medical officers (n=6), medical doctors (n=4) and civil surgeons (n=1). Participants for the stakeholder meeting were health policy makers, health programme managers, researchers, academicians, NGO workers, private health practitioners and news media reporters.Results Participants reported that diabetes, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the major NCD-related problems. All participants acknowledged the governments’ initiative to establish the NCD corners to support NCD service delivery. Participants thought the NCD corners have contributed substantially to increase NCD awareness, deliver NCD care and provide referral services. However, participants identified challenges including lack of specific guidelines and standard operating procedures; lack of trained human resources; inadequate laboratory facilities, logistics and medications; and poor recording and reporting systems.Conclusion The initiative taken by the Government of Bangladesh to set up the NCD corners at the primary healthcare level is appreciative. However, the NCD corners are still at nascent stage to provide prevention and management services for common NCDs. These findings need to be taken into consideration while expanding the NCD corners in other UHCs throughout the country.
format Article
id doaj-art-81e397a7ba0c4effb84d836b1ef63fb5
institution Kabale University
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2019-10-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-81e397a7ba0c4effb84d836b1ef63fb52024-12-13T20:25:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-10-0191010.1136/bmjopen-2019-029562Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare levelSyed Masud Ahmed0Tuhin Biswas1Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam2Lal B Rawal3Kie Kanda4Md. Imtiaz Tanim5Prakash Poudel6Andre M N Renzaho7Abu S Abdullah8Centre of Excellence for Health Systems and Universal Health Coverage, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh2 University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaInstitute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia4 School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, AustraliaSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia7 mPower Social Enterprises Ltd, Dhaka, BangladeshOffice of Research and Education, Canberra Hospital, Canberra Health Services, ACT Government, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaTranslational Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia10 Global Health Program, Duke Kunshan University, Jiangsu, Kunsan, ChinaObjective To explore healthcare providers’ perspective on non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and management services provided through the NCD corners in Bangladesh and to examine challenges and opportunities for strengthening NCD services delivery at the primary healthcare level.Design We used a grounded theory approach involving in-depth qualitative interviews with healthcare providers. We also used a health facility observation checklist to assess the NCD corners’ service readiness. Furthermore, a stakeholder meeting with participants from the government, non-government organisations (NGOs), private sector, universities and news media was conducted.Setting Twelve subdistrict health facilities, locally known as upazila health complex (UHC), across four administrative divisions.Participants Participants for the in-depth qualitative interviews were health service providers, namely upazila health and family planning officers (n=4), resident medical officers (n=6), medical doctors (n=4) and civil surgeons (n=1). Participants for the stakeholder meeting were health policy makers, health programme managers, researchers, academicians, NGO workers, private health practitioners and news media reporters.Results Participants reported that diabetes, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the major NCD-related problems. All participants acknowledged the governments’ initiative to establish the NCD corners to support NCD service delivery. Participants thought the NCD corners have contributed substantially to increase NCD awareness, deliver NCD care and provide referral services. However, participants identified challenges including lack of specific guidelines and standard operating procedures; lack of trained human resources; inadequate laboratory facilities, logistics and medications; and poor recording and reporting systems.Conclusion The initiative taken by the Government of Bangladesh to set up the NCD corners at the primary healthcare level is appreciative. However, the NCD corners are still at nascent stage to provide prevention and management services for common NCDs. These findings need to be taken into consideration while expanding the NCD corners in other UHCs throughout the country.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e029562.full
spellingShingle Syed Masud Ahmed
Tuhin Biswas
Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam
Lal B Rawal
Kie Kanda
Md. Imtiaz Tanim
Prakash Poudel
Andre M N Renzaho
Abu S Abdullah
Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare level
BMJ Open
title Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare level
title_full Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare level
title_fullStr Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare level
title_full_unstemmed Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare level
title_short Non-communicable disease (NCD) corners in public sector health facilities in Bangladesh: a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving NCD services at the primary healthcare level
title_sort non communicable disease ncd corners in public sector health facilities in bangladesh a qualitative study assessing challenges and opportunities for improving ncd services at the primary healthcare level
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e029562.full
work_keys_str_mv AT syedmasudahmed noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT tuhinbiswas noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT sheikhmohammedsharifulislam noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT lalbrawal noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT kiekanda noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT mdimtiaztanim noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT prakashpoudel noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT andremnrenzaho noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel
AT abusabdullah noncommunicablediseasencdcornersinpublicsectorhealthfacilitiesinbangladeshaqualitativestudyassessingchallengesandopportunitiesforimprovingncdservicesattheprimaryhealthcarelevel