Evidence-Informed Surgical Systems Strengthening with Meaningful Stakeholder Involvement in Low-Resource Settings: A Response to Recent Commentaries

Document Type : Correspondence

Authors

1 Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

2 Institute of Global Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland

3 Global Surgery Policy Unit, LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK

4 Health Policy Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria

5 Centre for Global Surgery, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

Evidence-Informed Surgical Systems Strengthening with Meaningful Stakeholder Involvement in Low-Resource Settings: A Response to Recent Commentaries

Keywords


We welcome the commentaries published by the International Journal of Health Policy and Management on Broekhuizen and colleagues’ paper entitled “Improving access to surgery through surgical team mentoring – policy lessons from group model building with local stakeholders in Malawi.”1 All five commentaries support the methodology employed — mixed methods approach, combining stakeholder input obtained through group model building (GMB) workshops, plus follow-up consultations and dynamic modelling. They also acknowledge the potential application of the findings, the transfer of lessons learned and proposed scenarios for surgical team mentoring, along with the associated policy implications, in other settings, for example South Africa.2 ...(Read more...)

  1. Broekhuizen H, Ifeanyichi M, Mwapasa G, et al. Improving access to surgery through surgical team mentoring - policy lessons from group model building with local stakeholders in Malawi. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(9):1744-1755. doi:34172/ijhpm.2021.78
  2. Bust L, Chu K. Improving district hospital surgical capacity in resource limited settings: challenges and lessons from South Africa: Comment on "Improving access to surgery through surgical team mentoring - policy lessons from group model building with local stakeholders in Malawi.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(10):2361-2364. doi:34172/ijhpm.2022.6937
  3. Moreno JHR, Velandia J, Igua D. Lessons for the implementability and sustainability of the SURG-Africa model of Malawi in Colombia: Comment on "Improving access to surgery through surgical team mentoring - policy lessons from group model building with local stakeholders in Malawi.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(11):2759-2761. doi:34172/ijhpm.2022.6974
  4. Hanna JS. An urgent need for a common framework for the articulation, design and reporting of surgical system strengthening interventions: Comment on "Improving access to surgery through surgical team mentoring - policy lessons from group model building with local stakeholders in Malawi.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(11):2755-2758. doi:34172/ijhpm.2022.6993
  5. Jumbam DT, Kanmounye US, Citron I, Kamalo P. Evidence-driven policies for sustainably scaling up surgical task-sharing in Malawi: Comment on "Improving access to surgery through surgical team mentoring - policy lessons from group model building with local stakeholders in Malawi.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(11):2752-2754. doi:34172/ijhpm.2022.6979
  6. Henry JA. Beyond policy: strengthening district level access to surgery is critical to achieving surgical equity in universal health coverage: Comment on “Improving access to surgery through surgical team mentoring - policy lessons from group model building with local stakeholders in Malawi.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2023;12:7594. doi:34172/ijhpm.2023.7594
  7. Baltussen R, Jansen M, Oortwijn W. Evidence-informed deliberative processes for legitimate health benefit package design - part I: conceptual framework. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(10):2319-2326. doi:34172/ijhpm.2021.158
  8. Oortwijn W, Jansen M, Baltussen R. Evidence-informed deliberative processes for health benefit package design - part II: a practical guide. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(10):2327-2336. doi:34172/ijhpm.2021.159
  9. Scholte M, Marchau V, Kwakkel JH, Klijn CJM, Rovers MM, Grutters JPC. Dealing with uncertainty in early health technology assessment: an exploration of methods for decision making under deep uncertainty. Value Health. 2023;26(5):694-703. doi:1016/j.jval.2022.08.012
  10. Crielaard L, Quax R, Sawyer ADM, et al. Using network analysis to identify leverage points based on causal loop diagrams leads to false inference. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):21046. doi:1038/s41598-023-46531-z
  11. World Health Organization (WHO). Integrated Emergency, Critical and Operative Care for Universal Health Coverage and Protection from Health Emergencies (Resolution WHA76.2). Geneva: WHO; 2023.
  12. Broekhuizen H, Ifeanyichi M, Cheelo M, et al. Policy options for surgical mentoring: lessons from Zambia based on stakeholder consultation and systems science. PLoS One. 2021;16(9):e0257597. doi:1371/journal.pone.0257597
  13. Pittalis C, Brugha R, Bijlmakers L, et al. Using network and complexity theories to understand the functionality of referral systems for surgical patients in resource-limited settings, the case of Malawi. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(11):2502-2513. doi:34172/ijhpm.2021.175
  14. Pittalis C, Drury G, Mwapasa G, et al. Using participatory action research to empower district hospital staff to deliver quality-assured essential surgery to rural populations in Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1186307. doi:3389/fpubh.2023.1186307
  15. Hyman GY, Obayagbona KI, Mugwe R, Makasa EM. The need for children’s surgical care prioritisation in national surgical care policies: a systematic review of national surgical obstetric and anaesthetic plans (NSOAPs) in sub-Saharan Africa. J Pediatr Surg. 2023. doi:1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.10.040
  16. Bekele A, Alayande BT, Powell BL, et al. National surgical healthcare policy development and implementation: where do we stand in Africa? World J Surg. 2023;47(12):3020-3029. doi:1007/s00268-023-07131-0
  17. Government of Pakistan. Essential Package of Health Services with Localized Evidence. DCP3, WHO; 2020. https://phkh.nhsrc.pk/sites/default/files/2020-10/Essential%20Package%20of%20Health%20Services%20with%20Localized%20Evidence%20Pakistan%20WHO%202020.pdf. Accessed December 1, 2023.
  18. Alwan A, Siddiqi S, Safi M, et al. Addressing the UHC challenge using the Disease Control Priorities 3 approach: lessons learned and an overview of the Pakistan experience. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2023;12:883. doi:34172/ijhpm.2023.8003
  • Receive Date: 09 December 2023
  • Revise Date: 13 December 2023
  • Accept Date: 19 December 2023
  • First Publish Date: 19 December 2023