With the goal of ensuring the effective implementation of performance-based financing (PBF) at participating facilities around the island, the Project Implementation Unit has been working with clinical staff at these facilities to build their capacity to capture data and determine outcomes for providing health services for Diabetes and Hypertension.Ā
Database Manager for Performance-based financing Darnville Nelson says the training sessions are very important and will provide participants with a better understanding of how performance-based financing works.
āWhat we are focusing on is getting the clinical team at the primary health care facilities to understand what data is required and how we can transform that data into information, so that we could understand what the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in Saint Lucia are,ā Nelson said.
He noted that the training on Results Monitoring Indicator RMIs will assist the participating facilities in their performance when delivering health services under the PBF.
āThere are four results monitoring indicators. Two of them are looking at screening for diabetes and hypertension and the other two are looking at treatment for diabetes and hypertension. In other words, we are looking at how many people are getting screened for both of these medical conditions and also how many people are getting treated for these medical conditions and are they being treated in accordance with the national protocols. So, there are a set of rules and a set of guidelines that help the clinical team on the ground to do both screening and treatment.ā
Community Health Nurse at the La Fargue Wellness Centre Kadia Harrison hailed the support from the Project Implementation Unit to better assist them with determining the prevalence of Diabetes and Hypertension in their communities.
āThis training will help me as the Community Health Nurse better capture my population, meaning persons who suffer with high blood pressure and diabetes. It will also help me as the nurse attached to the facility to better offer quality of life to the persons who suffer with these conditions. It will also help the clients that we serve to take better care of themselves,ā Harrison said.
The Project Implementation Unit will be undertaking a series of training sessions in areas such as goal setting, lab verification and training of trainers, to name a few.