The Competency Development Model of Super Village Health Volunteer Working on the Highland Areas

Abstract

This participatory action research aimed to develop a model for developing the competencies of Super Village Health Volunteer (SVHV) working on the highland areas and investigate SVHV performance including patients’ satisfaction receiving interventions from SVHV. Areas were selected according to difficulty level of access—easy, moderate, and difficult areas in similar proportion, in total 11 sub-districts from Omkoi district, Chiang Mai province, Mae Sariang and Sop Moei districts, Mae Hong Son province. Thirty one health personnel and representative of Village Health Volunteers (VHV) working on highland areas were participated in the model development and thirty willing VHVs who met eligible criteria were partaken in the competency development of SVHV. Data were collected using focus group, real space survey, and brainstorming/exchanging ideas with network partners to develop competency development model of SVHV, trialing the model with VHVs, and synthesized the lessons learned. The instruments comprised the forms of SVHV performance evaluation, client’s satisfaction evaluation, and structured interview for focus group. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and content analysis with naturalistic data processing method.

The finding revealed that the competency development model of SVHV comprised 4 steps of development process—opportunity for experiencing, reviewing and reflecting, self-perceiving and self-learning, and acting based on self-knowledge—that were carried out under the system and support of network partners as well as utilized 3 influential factors to promote optimally effective development process: inputs, partner networks, and communication and cooperation. After pilot testing the model, the sum and item-mean scores of SVHV performance were higher than 80% and client’s satisfaction sum-score was at the very good level (Mean 4.14, SD 0.86). It might be reflected the efficiency and appropriateness of the SVHV’s competency development model in terms of knowledge and basic healthcare ability to people living in the highlands, which should be further expanded in other highlands to confirm the suitability and efficiency of the development model.