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Orthopaedic clinical officer program in Malawi: a model for providing orthopaedic care.
- Source :
-
Clinical orthopaedics and related research [Clin Orthop Relat Res] 2008 Oct; Vol. 466 (10), pp. 2385-91. Date of Electronic Publication: 2008 Jul 15. - Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- Malawi has a population of about 13 million people, 85% of whom live in rural areas. The gross national income per capita is US$620, with 42% of the people living on less than US$1 per day. The government per capita expenditure on health is US$5. Malawi has 266 doctors, of whom only nine are orthopaedic surgeons. To address the severe shortage of doctors, Malawi relies heavily on paramedical officers to provide the bulk of healthcare. Specialized orthopaedic clinical officers have been trained since 1985 and are deployed primarily in rural district hospitals to manage 80% to 90% of the orthopaedic workload in Malawi. They are trained in conservative management of most common traumatic and nontraumatic musculoskeletal conditions. Since the program began, 117 orthopaedic clinical officers have been trained, of whom 82 are in clinical practice. In 2002, Malawi began a local orthopaedic postgraduate program with an intake of one to two candidates per year. However, orthopaedic clinical officers will continue to be needed for the foreseeable future. Orthopaedic clinical officer training is a cost-effective way of providing trained healthcare workers to meet the orthopaedic needs of a country with very few doctors and even fewer orthopaedic surgeons.
- Subjects :
- Allied Health Personnel economics
Allied Health Personnel supply & distribution
Clinical Competence
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Health Care Costs
Health Services Research
Humans
Malawi
National Health Programs
Orthopedic Procedures economics
Orthopedic Procedures statistics & numerical data
Program Development
Rural Health Services
Time Factors
Wounds and Injuries economics
Allied Health Personnel education
Delivery of Health Care economics
Delivery of Health Care organization & administration
Delivery of Health Care statistics & numerical data
Developing Countries economics
Developing Countries statistics & numerical data
Education, Medical economics
Education, Medical organization & administration
Education, Medical statistics & numerical data
Medically Underserved Area
Musculoskeletal System injuries
Orthopedic Procedures education
Wounds and Injuries therapy
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1528-1132
- Volume :
- 466
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Clinical orthopaedics and related research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 18633684
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-008-0366-5