ArticleBMC health services research2014
A scoping study on task shifting; the case of Uganda.
Article in BMC health services research, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Assessing the impact of anaesthetic and surgical task-shifting globally: a systematic literature review.Health policy and planning · 2023Pooled it
- Design, delivery and effectiveness of health practitioner regulation systems: an integrative review.Human resources for health · 2023Pooled it
- What does the literature tell us about health workers' experiences of task-shifting projects in sub-Saharan Africa? A systematic, qualitative review.Journal of clinical nursing · 2016Pooled it
- Effect of integrated infectious disease training and on-site support on the management of childhood illnesses in Uganda: a cluster randomized trial.BMC pediatrics · 2015Trial
- Childhood asthma in Uganda: experiences of healthcare providers and caregivers in diagnosis and management. A FRESH AIR qualitative study.NPJ primary care respiratory medicine · 2026Article
- A community-based task shifting program in 25 remote indigenous communities in Nunavut, Canada.International journal of circumpolar health · 2025Review
- Nurses experiences with an intervention enhancing skill-mix in Kenyan neonatal units with severe workforce deficits: A qualitative study.International journal of nursing studies · 2025Article
- Economics of Task-Shifting in Surgery: A Systematic Review.Health science reports · 2025Review
- Are Economic Evaluations of Task Shifting Too Narrow in Focus? A Rapid Review.PharmacoEconomics · 2025Review
- A cross-sectional study of point-of-care lactate testing in integrated community care management (ICCM) for children with acute respiratory illness in rural uganda.International health · 2025Article
- Article
- Evaluation of the sentinel yellow fever surveillance system in Uganda, 2017-2022: strengths and weaknesses.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Improving integrated depression and non-communicable disease care in Malawi through engaged leadership and supportive implementation climate.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Optimizing the roles of health workers to improve access to health services in Africa: an implementation framework for task shifting and sharing for policy and practice.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Principles for task shifting hypertension and diabetes screening and referral: a qualitative study exploring patient, community health worker and healthcare professional perceptions in rural Uganda.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Task Shifting and Task Sharing Implementation in Africa: A Scoping Review on Rationale and Scope.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Acceptability and feasibility of a mobile health application for enhancing public private mix for TB care among healthcare Workers in Southwestern Uganda.BMC digital health · 2023Article
- Health workers' social networks and their influence in the adoption of strategies to address the stillbirth burden at a subnational level health system in Uganda.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- Facilitators, barriers and potential solutions to the integration of depression and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) care in Malawi: a qualitative study with service providers.International journal of mental health systems · 2021Article
- Applying the Community Health Worker Coverage and Capacity Tool for Time-Use Modeling for Program Planning in Rwanda and Zanzibar.Global health, science and practice · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTask shifting has been implemented in Uganda for decades with little documentation. This study's objectives were to; gather evidence on task-shifting experiences in Uganda, establish its acceptability and perceptions among health managers and policymakers, and make recommendations.
methodsThis was a qualitative study. Data collection involved; review of published and gray literature, and key informant interviews of stakeholders in health policy and decision making in Uganda. Data was analyzed by thematic content analysis.
resultsTask shifting was the mainstay of health service delivery in Uganda. Lower cadre of health workers performed duties of specialized health workers. However, Uganda has no task shifting policy and guidelines, and task shifting was practiced informally. Lower cadre of health workers were deemed to be incompetent to handle shifted roles and already overworked, and support supervision was poor. Advocates of task shifting argued that lower cadre of health workers already performed the roles of highly trained health workers. They needed a supporting policy and support supervision. Opponents argued that lower cadre of health workers were; incompetent, overworked, and task shifting was more expensive than recruiting appropriately trained health workers.
conclusionsTask shifting was unacceptable to most health managers and policy makers because lower cadres of health workers were; incompetent, overworked and support supervision was poor. Recruitment of existing unemployed well trained health workers, implementation of human resource motivation and retention strategies, and government sponsored graduates to work for a defined mandatory period of time were recommended.
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