Using eLearning to train health workers on family planning counseling can be an effective training approach, particularly when carefully planned and coordinated to maximize the benefits. On August 26, 2021, the DMPA-SC Access Collaborative hosted this webinar on eLearning for health workers learning to counsel clients on DMPA-SC including self-injection in Senegal and Uganda. During 2019-2020, this approach was launched and evaluated in four regions of Senegal and four districts in Uganda.

The findings and recommendations from the experiences in Senegal and Uganda may offer lessons for other countries wishing to implement digital learning approaches. The webinar presenters raised important considerations about stakeholder coordination, internet and technology access, eLearning platforms, establishing training targets, training content, and the important role of post-training supervision.

With growing evidence that technologies can yield time and resource efficiencies and improve quality of care—resulting in better patient outcomes—in 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) issued recommendations for digital interventions for health systems strengthening. This brief uses the WHO definition of digital health from the draft Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2024: “the field of knowledge and practice associated with the development and use of digital technologies to improve health.” The recommendations include interventions in mHealth (medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices) and eHealth (the use of information and communication technologies for health), with the most recent evidence largely focused on mHealth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the capacity of organisations to train health providers, jeopardising their ability to maintain SRH (sexual and reproductive health) services for women and girls. Due to risk of infection, movement restrictions and the diversion of medical personnel and resources away from essential services, traditional in-person trainings and assessments are no longer feasible. This learning brief summarises learning on approaches to remote training of health workers in developing countries.

By leveraging digital training tools, family planning programs can integrate new approaches that help reduce the costs, time, and inconvenience associated with traditional classroom training. The PATH-JSI Access Collaborative has recently developed digital training resources for health workers and clients learning to administer DMPA-SC.

A 10-lesson DMPA-SC eLearning course for health workers is available for free in English and French and can be taken on computer or mobile device with internet access. Content includes an emphasis on informed choice counseling, new lessons on calculating the injection date and conducting follow-up visits, and updated information on training clients to self-inject.

In addition to the eLearning course, PATH and JSI have developed short 5- to 7-minute DMPA-SC training videos for both self-injection clients and health workers. Available in English and French, the videos can be translated or adapted to fit in program contexts.

If you are interested in introducing DMPA-SC digital training approaches in your program, please contact the Access Collaborative at FPoptions@path.org.

This guideline presents recommendations based on a critical evaluation of the evidence on emerging digital health interventions that are contributing to health system improvements, based on an assessment of the benefits, harms, acceptability, feasibility, resource use and equity considerations.

WHO’s global family planning handbook provides high-quality, up-to-date guidance for health-care professionals working in low- and middle-income countries.

The DMPA/NET-EN checklist consists of questions designed to identify medical conditions that would prevent safe DMPA/NET-EN use or require further screening and assess whether a client might be pregnant. It also provides guidance and directions based on clients’ responses.

This training module is part of a World Health Organization series of modules on immunization training. Supportive supervision involves supervisors and health workers working together to solve problems and improve performance. The module outlines key steps and practical implementation strategies.

This 32-page publication outlines the GATHER model of family planning counseling, which has been successfully used for nearly two decades and is based on the elements described including tips, illustrations, techniques, technical information, and charts.

With funding from the Catalytic Opportunity Fund (COF), JSI, Inc. evaluated the feasibility of using a low-cost training mechanism, known as OAS or “Orientation, Aide par Fiche Technique (job aid)”, to facilitate DMPA-SC scale-up among injection-experienced providers. It was piloted in four pilot districts in Madagascar, covering 76 basic health facilities.

Respondents had a very positive view of the OAS strategy and agreed it was a good alternative to more traditional training that can be scaled up in areas with injection experienced providers. The most significant impact of the OAS strategy has been correcting errors to ensure proper administration of DMPA-SC, thereby eliminating rumors and previous complaints.

This report covers the background, pilot and evaluation, results, and next steps relating to the OAS strategy in Madagascar.