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Limits of “ Skills And Drills ” Interventions to Improving Obstetric and Newborn Emergency Response: What More Do We Need to Learn?

Publish Date: December 2016
Author: Jim Ricca

This article, published in the journal Global Health: Science and Practice, examines a “skills and drills” intervention in four hospitals in Karnataka, India. Results show modest improvement in provider knowledge and skills, but not in actual response to obstetric and newborn emergencies. The author explores possible explanations, which include: 1) the need for a more intensive intervention; 2) other weaknesses in the health system; and 3) behavioral or organizational barriers related to hierarchical structures, roles, and team formation.

To read the full, open access article, click here.