Research Workshop in Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Health Office, 13-15 November, 2006: To Deliver Curricula for Primary Care Health Professionals in Health Management and Nursing

Abstract

Thailand's health system reform agenda mandates a transformational shift in approaches to primary health care management, service delivery, training and learning.MANAGEMENT - Management approaches underpinning an effective implementation of health reforms can be summarised as being change management and performance management based on effective leadership.SERVICE DELIVERY - Primary health care service delivery needs to be based on the principles of sustainability; increasingly embrace teamwork (function based); advocate capacity building; and shift from the dominance of curative care to a focus on preventative, promotive and rehabilitative care.TRAINING - While training of all staff (managers, doctors, nurses and other health providers) still requires, as a first and necessary step, the achievement of a range of competencies, the aim of such training is the achievement of capabilities as part of an inter-professional health care service environment. For such training to be effective in dealing with a professional approach to 21st century health challenges, this kind of training context needs to be replicated in the professional work place.LEARNING - Learning principles need to embrace life-long, self-directed learning seeking new knowledge and aiming to improve performance in a changing, complex and multi-faceted health environment.WORKSHOP RESULTS - Participants in the three day workshop nominated networking, teamwork, monitoring and evaluation as the priority learning areas.TIMEFRAMES - While seminar series content can be developed in the short term and implemented in 6–12 months, the development of a formal learning curriculum will require a longer period and adequate investment of resources. However, it would be helpful, if in implementing a seminar series, a policy decision is taken that the content will subsequently develop into a formal curriculum so that the seminar series development is informed by that intention.