Objective: To describe the model adopted for the capacity building of PCPs in management of chronic conditions in India.
Intervention: An innovative collaborative model between Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi and academic partners supported by an educational grant from various stakeholders was designed. An evidence based curriculum was developed by the academic partners and was later reviewed by national experts in their respective fields. Regional faculty that are specialists in the field delivered the course content that comprises of didactic lectures, case studies and instructional videos. We established a strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism comprising of on-site random visits by a team of observers drawn from a national pool of public health experts.
Result: Nine initiatives have been implemented so far on various chronic conditions including diabetes mellitus, GDM, cardio-diabetes, thyroid disorders, hypertension, COPD & asthma, CVD and Stroke, healthcare quality and diabetic retinopathy. More than 23000 PCPs from 581 of the 712 districts (81.6%) in India have been enrolled in these initiatives till date. The mean age of participants enrolled is 39 years with a clinical experience of 13 years. Over 30% of the PCPs were affiliated to public sector and 41 % were post- graduates (MD/MS/DNB). The model has been accepted by various state governments for training their medical officers. Some of these programs have received recognition from the International Diabetes Federation, South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies, Asia and Oceania Thyroid Association and RCP, London. Various international organizations have adopted these courses for the implementation in their respective regions like Nepal, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, East Africa and train their doctors. These trainings have won many National and International awards of repute.
Conclusion: The success of this model in the Indian setting implies its use in other developing countries with similar backgrounds to effectively manage the increasing burden of chronic conditions.