Bridging Uganda’s Emergency Care Skills Gap: Leveraging Virtual Telementorship for Frontline Providers
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Emergency care conditions, including trauma, acute infections, and obstetric emergencies, significantly contribute to global mortality and morbidity, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. Uganda, with a predominantly young and rural population of over 46 million, faces a severe shortage of trained emergency care providers, exacerbating mortality rates in emergency units.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes model adopted by Uganda’s Ministry of Health and Seed Global Health in 2021 to bridge the emergency care skills gap among frontline health workers.
Methods: A retrospective program evaluation was conducted using secondary quantitative data analysis covering September 2021 to December 2024 period. Data from participant registrations and pre/post knowledge tests via Zoom sessions were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Power BI.
Results: Between September 2021 and December 2024, 70 bi-weekly telementorship sessions were conducted to 11,805 participants across all 146 Ugandan districts and 66 additional countries with majority coming from East Africa. Participants included general doctors (38%), nurses and midwives (28%), allied health professionals (27%), specialists (4%), and emergency medical technicians (3%). High repeat participation rates and an average attendance duration of 205.5 minutes per session indicated substantial engagement and perceived program value. Immediate knowledge gains were demonstrated through significant improvements in pre- and post-session assessments from 36% to 65%.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the effectiveness and scalability of virtual telementorship in rapidly enhancing emergency care competencies among diverse health professional cadres. The broad geographical and facility-level reach underscores its potential for bridging critical workforce gaps in resource-limited settings. However, the study noted limitations, including potential participation bias and the absence of long-term knowledge retention and patient outcome assessments. Policy recommendations emphasize integrating virtual telementorship into national workforce development strategies, advocating for dedicated funding and infrastructure support to sustain and expand this impactful approach. This initiative demonstrates a feasible and scalable model for improving emergency care knowledge, with strong potential for replication in similar global health contexts.
Article Details
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