Author:
Zufan Abera Damtew
Affiliation:
University of Oslo, Norway
Keyword(s):
Community Health Workers, Health Extension Package, Health Data, Knowledge Boundaries, Communication, Brokering.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Artificial Intelligence
;
Communication, Collaboration and Information Sharing
;
Innovation Facilitation
;
KM Strategies and Implementations
;
Knowledge Management and Information Sharing
;
Knowledge-Based Systems
;
Symbolic Systems
Abstract:
Community based health service is escalating in many developing countries as a means to fulfill health related millennium development goals. Community health workers provide primary health care, and collect and compile health data in collaboration with different actors. This collaboration requires knowledge communication. An interpretative case study was conducted in Ethiopia to understand the knowledge communication across boundaries. Using transfer, translation and transformation framework of Carlile, this study discuss how knowledge related to the health extension packages is communicated across syntactic, semantic and pragmatic boundaries among health extension workers, their teachers, supervisors, community volunteers and rural households. The study also describes the knowledge brokering role of health extension workers and voluntary community health workers. They interact and negotiate with rural households to facilitate communication of novel knowledge concerning the health ex
tension packages. The study identified impediments that preclude knowledge communication. In order to improve knowledge communication across boundaries and enhance the implementation of health extension packages, it is essential; to formulate apt target for health services, equip health extension workers training schools with essential resources, offer trainings to community volunteers and make available standardized register and report formats at health posts for proper recording and reporting.
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