And engagement with chronic disease care and management. We, therefore, conducted

And engagement with chronic disease care and management. We, therefore, conducted a qualitative study to explore perceptions of patients, caregivers, community leaders and healthcare workers, including perceptions of CHWs role in chronic disease management. While we focused primarily on HIV, TB and HTN care in western Kenya, here engagement in care is discussed more broadly.Materials and Methods Study settingThe AMPATH Consortium, based in Eldoret, Kenya (about 350km north-west of Nairobi) was initiated in 2001 as a joint partnership between Moi University School of Medicine, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) [35, 36], and a consortium of North American Ixazomib citrate cancer universities led by Indiana University School of Medicine. With financial support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the USAID-AMPATH Partnership was established in 2004. The history, organizational structure, and health programs of AMPATH have been described elsewhere [35, 37]. The AMPATH Consortium provides technical support, mentorship and training to Kenyan medical faculty and staff with the aim of developing healthcare services in Kenya. AMPATH delivers care, provides education, and performs research in networks of urban and rural Ministry of Health hospitals, health centers, and dispensaries in western Kenya. The initial goal of the program was to establish an HIV care system to serve the needs of both urban and rural patients as well as to assess the outcomes and barriers of antiretroviral therapy (ART). AMPATH has enrolled over 160,000 HIV-infected adults and children plus 21,000 HIV-exposed infants in >65 Ministry of Health facilities around western Kenya. Currently, >85,000 patients are actively followed, 83 of whom are on combination ART; 21 are aged 14 years. All SART.S23506 HIV and tuberculosis (TB)-related care and treatment are free at the point of service for patients. Patients are managed according to National Kenyan protocols, which are consistent with WHO guidelines. While AMPATH initially focused on patients infected with HIV, it has since expanded to RelugolixMedChemExpress TAK-385 provide primary health care, maternal and child health services and chronic disease management (specifically diabetes and hypertension) to a catchment population of over 2 million persons [26]. This study was undertaken in three AMPATH sites, namely Chulaimbo, Teso and Turbo.Current Role of CHWs within Kenya and AMPATHCHWs are volunteers who are recruited from the community with input j.jebo.2013.04.005 from Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) and members from the village, sub-location and district. They are often recruited through a baraza (i.e., a meeting with community elders) [34]. Ideally, CHWs should be literate and respected so that they can help to motivate others in their communities. In general, they receive approximately 6 weeks of initial training and quarterly refresher training [34]. In the current Kenyan government model, CHWs are supervised by a facility-based and government-employed CHEW. Each community unit, made up of approximately 5000 people is supported by 50 CHWs and 2 CHEWs. Each CHEW supervises approximately 25 CHWs [34]. CHEWs support CHW through supervision and coaching and meet with their CHWs ideally monthly [38]. CHWS perform numerous tasks both in households but also in the community at large. Essentially the role of CHW is to identify health needs, educate and manage some conditions at the household level and link/refer patients to health facilities. Their main tasks inclu.And engagement with chronic disease care and management. We, therefore, conducted a qualitative study to explore perceptions of patients, caregivers, community leaders and healthcare workers, including perceptions of CHWs role in chronic disease management. While we focused primarily on HIV, TB and HTN care in western Kenya, here engagement in care is discussed more broadly.Materials and Methods Study settingThe AMPATH Consortium, based in Eldoret, Kenya (about 350km north-west of Nairobi) was initiated in 2001 as a joint partnership between Moi University School of Medicine, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) [35, 36], and a consortium of North American universities led by Indiana University School of Medicine. With financial support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the USAID-AMPATH Partnership was established in 2004. The history, organizational structure, and health programs of AMPATH have been described elsewhere [35, 37]. The AMPATH Consortium provides technical support, mentorship and training to Kenyan medical faculty and staff with the aim of developing healthcare services in Kenya. AMPATH delivers care, provides education, and performs research in networks of urban and rural Ministry of Health hospitals, health centers, and dispensaries in western Kenya. The initial goal of the program was to establish an HIV care system to serve the needs of both urban and rural patients as well as to assess the outcomes and barriers of antiretroviral therapy (ART). AMPATH has enrolled over 160,000 HIV-infected adults and children plus 21,000 HIV-exposed infants in >65 Ministry of Health facilities around western Kenya. Currently, >85,000 patients are actively followed, 83 of whom are on combination ART; 21 are aged 14 years. All SART.S23506 HIV and tuberculosis (TB)-related care and treatment are free at the point of service for patients. Patients are managed according to National Kenyan protocols, which are consistent with WHO guidelines. While AMPATH initially focused on patients infected with HIV, it has since expanded to provide primary health care, maternal and child health services and chronic disease management (specifically diabetes and hypertension) to a catchment population of over 2 million persons [26]. This study was undertaken in three AMPATH sites, namely Chulaimbo, Teso and Turbo.Current Role of CHWs within Kenya and AMPATHCHWs are volunteers who are recruited from the community with input j.jebo.2013.04.005 from Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) and members from the village, sub-location and district. They are often recruited through a baraza (i.e., a meeting with community elders) [34]. Ideally, CHWs should be literate and respected so that they can help to motivate others in their communities. In general, they receive approximately 6 weeks of initial training and quarterly refresher training [34]. In the current Kenyan government model, CHWs are supervised by a facility-based and government-employed CHEW. Each community unit, made up of approximately 5000 people is supported by 50 CHWs and 2 CHEWs. Each CHEW supervises approximately 25 CHWs [34]. CHEWs support CHW through supervision and coaching and meet with their CHWs ideally monthly [38]. CHWS perform numerous tasks both in households but also in the community at large. Essentially the role of CHW is to identify health needs, educate and manage some conditions at the household level and link/refer patients to health facilities. Their main tasks inclu.