Long-term effects of supportive supervision training on educational performance of rural health workers in Khoy, Iran

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: The role of rural health workers as providers of multi-professional services in the success of the country's primary health care delivery system is evident. Improving their performance will increase productivity and efficiency of the system and improve service quality. Supervision as the axis of this vital issue for human resource management in the health system is one of the main tools of managers and employees in the system to evaluate the quality of services. Supervision with a supportive approach may improve the staff motivation and performance and promote the quality of the teaching-learning process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of supportive supervision training of "supervising healthcare providers" on the educational performance of rural health workers. Materials and Methods: This study was a follow-up to a quasi-experimental study of one-Group Pretest-Posttest Design, which was conducted in 2011. Applying a checklist designed and used in the initial study, we collected data after direct observation of the educational performance of the rural health workers who participated in the initial study. Results: Based on the research findings, the mean score of total educational performance of rural health workers except for the components of "responsibility for educational performance" and "educational abilities" significantly increased 3 months after the intervention compared to the pre-test. However, in 8 years after the intervention the mean score of the RHWs in the educational performance and all its domains decreased so that after 8 years there is no significant effect of educational intervention of supportive supervision in the RHWs. Conclusion: Considering that there is no effect of the results of the intervention on the educational performance of health workers after 8 years, it seems that similar interventions should be accompanied by strategies to improve the durability of interventions over time. Therefore, needs assessment and holding in-service courses with active inclusive involvement and practical work, providing adequate manpower according to the changes in the health system, diversity and multiplicity of tasks, close monitoring with training and feedback, use of reinforcement system and encouraging active people can be strategies to increase the likelihood that such interventions will persist. Supervisors should also be selected from capable personnel and supervision training courses should be held for them. The monitoring and monitoring system should be reviewed and the observers should be provided with sufficient time and facilities for proper and constructive monitoring. Keywords: supportive supervision, educational performance, rural health workers