Readiness and competency of village health volunteers in triage and care for patients with respiratory infection in the post-COVID-19 era, Thailand

Abstract

This descriptive study aimed to assess the readiness of village health volunteers (VHVs) to triage, manage, and care for patients with respiratory infection, an important disease burden after the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Healthcare providers’ perspectives were also examined in the study to determine the gap between actual and expected VHVs’ practice This study was conducted in Khon Kaen Province, by using multistage random sampling, and included 215 VHVs and 111 healthcare providers. Data were collected from June to December 2023 using questionnaire and a knowledge tests, validated by three experts with reliability coefficients of 0.82-0.90 and KR-21 of 0.77 The results revealed that most VHVs were aged over 45 years, had completed primary school education, and had low to moderate levels of knowledge (89.30%) and practices (70.23%) in triaging, managing, and caring for patients with respiratory infections. The barrier was insufficient equipment for patient assessment. Only education level significantly associated with knowledge and practices (p<0.05). Particularly, VHVs showed low to moderate practices in triaging by severity and providing self-care advice. Most health care providers had more than 10 years of work experience. There was a statistically significant difference between their expectations and their perceptions of actual VHV practices (p=0.026). The priority need index for improving basic clinical skills for VHVs was demonstrated, such as physical examinations, disease control and prevention, and patient triage by severity and screening of high-risk patients for infection. The study suggested the need to enhance VHVs competencies to strengthen respiratory infections effectively. It recommended focusing on basic clinical skills training and providing additional resources to improve community healthcare, reduce disease burden, and support global health security, aligning with goals for developing a sustainable health system.