A individually randomized controlled trial comparing Healer-led vs. clinician- led training to improve personal protective equipment use among traditional healers in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Like allopathic healthcare workers, healers are also exposed to patients' blood and body fluids. A widespread practice is the traditional "injection," in which the healer performs subcutaneous incisions to rub herbs directly into the bloodied skin, resulting in 1,500 blood exposures over their lifetime. We tested the impact of healer-led PPE training, staffed by trained traditional healers who reported using PPE during each risky clinical encounter vs. healthcare worker (HCW)-led PPE training sessions. We randomized 136 healers into one of the two study arms (67 in the healer-led group, 69 in the HCW-led group) and assessed the impact of trainer on PPE skills and use over a six-month period. All healers received one in-person day of didactic and practical training followed by three session

SUBMITTER: Audet CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10889871 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature