Omni-Channel Approach For Mentoring Community Health Officers To Improve Quality Of Health Services In Ayushman Arogya Mandirs Of Bihar
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: The Ayushman Bharat initiative in India, which envisions the transformation of sub-health centres into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs), represents a milestone in India's journey towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). AAMs are mandated to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare through the deployment of Community Health Officers (CHOs) as mid-level service providers. Despite their crucial role, CHOs face challenges including clinical uncertainty, administrative bottlenecks, and suboptimal community engagement. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an Omni-Channel Mentorship Approach (OCA) in enhancing the performance of CHOs in Madhubani district, Bihar. The mentorship combined virtual and onsite engagements, targeting clinical capacity, administrative efficiency, and community participation. Using a mixed-method design, data from 30 AAMs were analysed before and after the intervention. Findings revealed statistically significant improvements in outpatient attendance (P<0.01), non-communicable disease screening (P<0.01), antenatal care check-ups (P<0.05), VHSND conducted (P<0.05); health education sessions (P<0.01) and essential drug availability (P<0.01). Qualitative findings highlighted increased CHO confidence, operational efficiency, team coordination and stronger community interface. Authors argue that structured and context-specific mentoring mechanisms are critical for optimizing the AAM model, especially in underserved regions. Institutionalizing mentorship protocols, developing standardized monitoring tools, and policy-level integration are essential for sustainable CHO capacity building for optimizing primary healthcare delivery in resource-constrained settings.
Author: Pankaj Kumar Mishra
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medical Services
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4413411392