Systems of Continuing Education - Priority to District Health Personnel (Paperback)

This report addresses the pressing need for educational measures that can improve the competence and motivation of health personnel working in district health systems. Noting that personnel constitute the most valuable and expensive component of the health services, the report argues for the use of a systematic programme of continuing education, geared to the functioning of a district health system, as a measure that can help staff at all levels improve their performance and maintain a high level of job satisfaction. Emphasis is placed on the importance of on-the-job training as an approach that encourages learning based on real problems and appropriate to real needs in the community. Throughout the report, brief case studies are used to show how different countries have made continuing education an integral part of district health management. The report opens with a discussion of the ways in which continuing education can strengthen the district health system and thus support its role in ensuring universal access to primary health care. The second section lists operational principles for the management of district health systems and shows how specific managerial functions are facilitated when health staff are continuously encouraged to improve their skills and competence. Factors that can influence the successful operation of programmes for continuing education are identified in the third and most extensive section, which considers the importance of political and financial commitment, the choice of educational methods, the relevance of learning materials, the professional aspirations of staff and methods of supervision. Factors to consider when evaluating the success of a continuing system are also clearly explained.