title: Interventions to manage dual practice among health workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dual practice, whereby health workers hold two or more jobs, is a common phenomenon globally. In resource constrained low- and middle-income countries dual practice poses an ongoing threat to the efficiency, quality and equity of health services, especially in the public sector. Identifying effective interventions to manage dual practice is important.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of regulations implemented to manage dual practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Databases searched included: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) 2011, Issue 4, part of The Cochrane Library. www.thecochranelibrary.com, including the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group Specialised Register (searched 26 May 2011); MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations May 24, 2011 (searched 26 May 2011); MEDLINE, Ovid (1948 to May week 2 2011) (searched 26 May 2011); EMBASE, Ovid (1980 to 2011 week 20) (searched 26 May 2011); Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index, ISI Web of Science (1975 to present) (searched 04 December 2009); LILACS (searched January 2010); and AIM (December 2009) (searched 18 December 2009).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies and interrupted-time-series studies. Dual practice was defined as holding more than one job. Studies for inclusion were those focusing on interventions to manage dual practice among health professionals employed in the public health sector.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two review authors independently applied the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of studies when scanning the identified titles and abstracts. The same two review authors independently screened full reports of selected citations. At each stage, results were compared and discrepancies settled through discussion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No studies were found which were eligible for inclusion in this review.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to rigorously evaluate the effects of interventions implemented to manage dual practice among health workers. However, there is still much that is unknown about dual practice itself. The designing of studies to evaluate the effects of interventions to manage dual practice could benefit from prior studies to assess the various manifestations of dual practice, their prevalence and their likely impacts on health services delivery. These findings would then inform the design of studies to evaluate interventions to manage dual practice.
authors: Health Policy Planning and Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, New Mulago Complex, School of Public Health Building, Kampala, Uganda, P.O.Box 7072.
authors: Suzanne N
authors: SN
authors: Kiwanuka
authors: Elizeus
authors: E
authors: Rutebemberwa
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Nalwadda
authors: Olico
authors: O
authors: Okui
authors: Freddie
authors: F
authors: Ssengooba
authors: Alison A
authors: AA
authors: Kinengyere
authors: George W
authors: GW
authors: Pariyo
mesh_terms: D004651:Employment; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D017150:Public Sector