Exploring the Attitudes and Perceptions of Assistant and Registered Medical Officers Toward their Role in Health Care Delivery in Sri Lanka
Date
2012
Authors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Repository Usage Stats
views
downloads
Abstract
The Assistant and Registered Medical Officers (AMO/RMOs) of Sri Lanka have held a major role in health care delivery, particularly in rural areas. The Sri Lankan government decided to discontinue the AMO training program in 1995 and to phase out the profession completely, without conducting any research on what the impact of this policy decision may be. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of practicing AMO/RMOs from May to July 2012 to gain qualitative preliminary data on how the AMO/RMO profession is viewed by those who work within it. Interviews were conducted primarily in English, with simultaneous translation into Sinhala by a research assistant where necessary. Interview transcripts were reviewed for repeated words and phrases, and overarching themes were drawn from these textual patterns. Analysis of the transcribed interviews yielded themes regarding lack of educational and promotional opportunity, similarities and differences between RMOs and Medical Officers (MOs), barriers to quality of care, gaps in supervision, level of job satisfaction, the nature of working relationships with other health professions, and predictions about the future of the AMO/RMO profession. This preliminary and exploratory data can be used to inform more comprehensive and objective research on the role and impact of AMO/RMOs in the future. It can also inform policy decisions and recommendations regarding health workforce composition and shortage, task-shifting, and use of mid-level providers.
Type
Department
Description
Provenance
Citation
Permalink
Citation
Jones, Elizabeth Diane (2012). Exploring the Attitudes and Perceptions of Assistant and Registered Medical Officers Toward their Role in Health Care Delivery in Sri Lanka. Master's thesis, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6192.
Collections
Except where otherwise noted, student scholarship that was shared on DukeSpace after 2009 is made available to the public under a Creative Commons Attribution / Non-commercial / No derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) license. All rights in student work shared on DukeSpace before 2009 remain with the author and/or their designee, whose permission may be required for reuse.