Ashanti-ProCor Project: Update Dec 2008

The Ashanti-ProCor Project to Increase CVD Knowledge and Practice Among Health Workers launched a series of focus groups and interviews with community physicians, public health nurses, medical students, health librarians, and resource specialists in Kumasi, Ghana, in November 2008.

Participants shared their experiences and ideas about sources of information, preferred formats, strategies for increasing access, and ways to overcome barriers to translating information into practice. Findings will be analyzed and will guide ProCor in enhancing the ways in which it promotes global knowledge sharing to promote heart health. Globally, results of the project will be publicized and tools and process developed by the project will be freely disseminated for adaptation and adoption in diverse settings.

The focus groups were conducted by Catherine Coleman, Editor in Chief of ProCor; Dr. Collins Kokuro, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi; and Rose Adjei, MPH, Research Assistant, Department of Community Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. The project is co-directed by Dr. Bernard Nkum, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The Ashanti-ProCor Project is a four-year project exploring the CVD information needs of health care providers with the goal of developing innovative, effective responses that promote preventive strategies. November's discussions represent the third phase of the project. The first phase included a literature review and survey of CVD knowledge and practice among medical students and public health nurses. During the second phase, stakeholders on local, regional, and national levels in Ghana explored the potential roles of diverse groups of health workers in promoting heart health and ultimately identified a total of twelve categories of health workers who are key to prevention. They then developed indicators with which to analyze the range of target audiences and highlighted those on whom the project should focus.

Next steps are to continue to learn from additional provider groups identified by local experts and stakeholders and to develop content guidelines and dissemination strategies that increase ProCor's responsiveness to information needs and preferences identified by these groups. We are grateful to the many individuals who generously shared their time, insights, and experiences with us.

Date Posted: 16 December 2008