title: Village health worker training for complications of labor and delivery in rural Maharashtra, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  By analyzing the perspectives of village health worker/trainers with the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), this study aimed to investigate their level of knowledge of treatment, risks, and prevention of complications of labor and delivery and to evaluate current teaching methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three focus groups of six village health workers/trainers were conducted and divided according to level of experience. The resulting semistructured discussion was analyzed according to grounded theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants displayed strong content retention with respect to clinically relevant knowledge. Village health workers experienced barriers, including lack of education and casteism, which affected their ability to establish trust in the community. Clinical observation was perceived to be the most effective learning method and is recommended for teaching village health workers about the treatment and prevention of the complications of labor and delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When implementing this training model in comparable global communities, local culture and its impact on establishing trust is an important factor to consider.
authors: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors: Wynn
authors: W
authors: Peterson
authors: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors: Raywat
authors: R
authors: Deonandan
authors: Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed, Maharashtra, India.
authors: Shobha
authors: S
authors: Arole
authors: Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Jamkhed, Maharashtra, India.
authors: Ramaswamy
authors: R
authors: Premkumar
keywords: India; postpartum hemorrhage; rural health; village health worker training; village health workers; women’s health