Publication

Enhancing hypertension education of community health extension workers in Nigeria’s federal capital territory: the impact of the extension for community healthcare outcomes model on primary care, a quasi-experimental study

Enhancing hypertension education of community health extension workers in Nigeria’s federal capital territory: the impact of the extension for community healthcare outcomes model on primary care, a quasi-experimental study

September 6, 2024

Summary:

This study assessed the impact of the ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model on hypertension education for healthcare workers, including Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. The study compared patient-level effects between primary healthcare centers (PHCs) that participated in a seven-part hypertension ECHO training series and those that did not. Over 16,000 PHC visits were analyzed, revealing that while hypertension treatment rates increased more rapidly in the ECHO-trained cohort, there were no significant differences in blood pressure control rates, adherence to medication protocols, or staffing levels between the two groups. The findings suggest that the ECHO model moderately improved hypertension management without negatively impacting clinic operations, offering a scalable approach to improving hypertension education for frontline healthcare workers in Nigeria.

Citation(s):

Baldridge, A.S., Orji, I.A., Shedul, G.L., Iyer, G., Jamro, E.L., Ye, J., Akor, B.O., Okpetu, E., Osagie, S., Adaora Odukwe, Haulat Olabisi Dabiri, L Nneka Mobisson, Kandula, N.R., Hirschhorn, L.R., Huffman, M.D. and Ojji, D.B. (2024). Enhancing hypertension education of community health extension workers in Nigeria’s federal capital territory: the impact of the extension for community healthcare outcomes model on primary care, a quasi-experimental study. BMC Primary Care, 25(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02579-y.