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Public Health students will acquire an advanced understanding of the issues impacting individual and community health in urban and rural Honduras through the details of region-specific diseases and their treatment. Students will develop and present a continuing education session (Training Of Trainers) to rural Honduran Community Health Entrepreneurs/Community Healthcare Workers (CHEs/CHWs) on infectious and chronic disease signs and symptoms and preventive measures for use in their communities.
Students will virtually shadow our non-profit NGO’s Honduran Medical Doctors, Optometrists, and Pharmacists, supported by advanced telemedical equipment, as they deliver healthcare to resource-limited communities in urban and rural settings.
Students also work to develop intercultural competencies that are integrated into the course. Ultimately, these engaged learning experiences help to increase the quality of healthcare services that improve the outcomes for our communities.
Program Learning Objectives
Students that successfully complete the Program will be able to:
- Discuss issues impacting the healthcare system in a developing country.
- Analyze the social determinants of health that impact the wellbeing of urban and rural clinic patients.
- Discuss the role and practice of the Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs).
- Develop and present a Training of Trainers session on a selected topic to the Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs).
- Identify common diseases, their treatments, and preventive measures used in urban and rural clinics.
- Analyze data to monitor health trends and identify health risk factors unique to a single rural community.
Resources provided in support of the virtual sessions and Modules
- A bilingual, on-the-ground session facilitator will coordinate each virtual session with students.
- A translator is provided in each virtual session in which students engage with patients and community healthcare workers. Doctors and medical staff are also bilingual.
- Program materials are provided to all students.
- Session scheduling that coordinates your course and medical clinics.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
There are thirteen Modules in the Program. Each Module is scheduled for two-hours. The Modules can be variously assembled to build programs of the appropriate length and focus. Additional Modules can be developed to address specific campus needs.
Module 1: Introductions, Global Brigades Overview, and Reflection & Action (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Facilitator and student introductions and a presentation on Global Brigades (GB) and its NGO non-profit development programs, including public health and medical programs in Honduras. An exploration of key approaches for working with international communities: reflection, action, and intercultural competencies.
Module 1 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Reflection activity on Global Brigades’ holistic model and the advantages of an integrated community development approach that impacts health.
Module 2: The Honduran Healthcare Systems and Public Health (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Explore the details of the Honduran healthcare systems and the role of public health.
Module 2 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Compare and contrast the Honduran healthcare systems with students’ own healthcare systems.
Module 3: Social Determinants of Health in Honduras (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Getting to know the social determinants that impact the lives of people in rural and urban areas in Honduras. Students will discuss four strategies used by NGOs to help communities live healthier lives by preventing and/or addressing disease. Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) background and community criteria are discussed.
Module 3 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will explore the Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs)’s community profile on our website, and then complete the Social Determinants of the Health worksheet.
Module 4: Community Health Entrepreneurs(CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Facilitator discusses Global Brigades’ Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) Program as a strategy to address healthcare needs as defined by the social determinants of health in Honduras. The Honduran Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) model is compared with the models used in other countries around the world.
Students will work in small groups to develop questions for the CHEs/CHWs meeting in Module 5 to help students understand the details of their community-based work and challenges.
Students will also begin their Training of Trainers (TOT) preparation by exploring the assigned topic. Students also conduct small group research and then develop additional questions that will help them to evaluate the CHEs/CHWs’ level of understanding of the topic.
Module 4 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Continue to develop questions to be used as part of the Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) meeting in Module 5.
Module 5: Meeting Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) in Honduras (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Live meeting with Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs)/Community Healthcare Workers (CHWs) to explore their work, challenges, and experience working in their community. Students will explore the CHEs/CHWs’ level of understanding of the topic for the TOT.
Module 5 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will summarize their findings of the CHEs/CHWs meeting from Module 5.
Module 6: Chronic Diseases – Prevention and Treatment (Western and Traditional Medicine) (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
A Honduran Medical Doctor will work with students to discuss the most common chronic diseases encountered in the country. Discussion of the signs, symptoms, and treatment of these diseases, as well as prevention practices. A statistical analysis of Electronic Medical Records for chronic diseases will be conducted. Students will practice identifying Honduran chronic diseases using patients’ case studies.
Module 6 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will continue to identify chronic diseases from Honduran patient case studies.
Module 7: Infectious Diseases – Prevention and Treatment (Western and Traditional Medicine) (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
A Honduran Medical Doctor will discuss the most common infectious diseases encountered in the country. Discussion of the signs, symptoms, treatment of these diseases. A statistical analysis of Electronic Medical Records for infectious diseases will be conducted. Students will practice identifying Honduran infectious diseases using patients’ case studies.
Facilitator will help students begin to develop the TOT materials to be presented in Module 13, such as an outline of a presentation, PowerPoint, educational games, pre- and post quizzes, etc.
Module 7 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will continue to develop the TOT materials.
Module 8: Preparation for the Urban Clinic Session (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
An orientation of the telemedicine equipment found in the urban clinic will be conducted. A Honduran Medical Doctor will conduct mock patient consultations with students to prepare them for the Clinic Sessions and practice Spanish medical terms.
Module 8 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students continue to review the Spanish Medical Terminology worksheet.
Module 9: Identifying Chronic and Infectious Diseases and their Treatment in the Urban Clinic – Live Virtual Urban Clinic Day 1 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will shadow our Honduran MDs and Optometrists, utilizing telemedical devices at our Urban Clinic in Tegucigalpa, to identify chronic and infectious diseases found among their patients, their treatments, and their preventive measures. Students will also discuss the most commonly prescribed medications for the clinic’s patients with our Pharmacists.
Module 9 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students summarize their observations from Urban Clinic Day 1.
Module 10: Identifying Chronic and Infectious Diseases and their Treatment in the Urban Clinic – Live Virtual Urban Clinic Day 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will continue to shadow our Honduran MDs and Optometrists, utilizing telemedical devices at our Urban Clinic in Tegucigalpa, to identify chronic and infectious diseases found among their patients, their treatments, and their preventive measures. Students will also continue to discuss the most commonly prescribed medications for the clinic’s patients with our Pharmacists.
Module 10 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students summarize their observations from Urban Clinic Day 2
Module 11: Identifying the Social Determinants of Health Impacting the Lives of Rural Community Members (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will observe some of the social determinants of health impacting the lives of rural community members. A rural clinic day is recorded in a community assigned to each class, where students observe how Honduran MDs, CHEs/CHWs, Optometrists, and Dentists work with patients in a mobile rural clinic setting. An Honduran MD will discuss the most interesting epidemiological cases encountered in the rural clinic, along with patient feedback.
Module 11 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students continue to work to finalize their TOT presentation.
Module 12: TOT Presentation to the CHEs/CHWs (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students present a Training of Trainers session on the assigned topic to the CHEs/CHWs for use in their rural communities.
Module 12 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students complete a final revision of their TOT presentation and materials to be submitted and distributed to the CHEs/CHWs.
Module 13: Final Class Meeting and Course Reflections (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students review key terms and concepts developed in the program. They will also reflect on their experience and activities encountered in the program.
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