Assessment of Training and Capacity Building of Health Care Providers on Providing Quality Health Care Services with Special Focus on Pre-Conception Care: A Study in Rural India

Young married women (YMW) and adolescent girls do not obtain health care from early childhood until their first pregnancy. The current study aimed at strengthening Health Care Providers (HCPs) like Master Trainers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery, Accredited Social Health Activist and Anganwadi Workers, on preconception care through trainings and capacity building and assesses skillshift. Pre and post-test quantitative-experimental study design was used. Quarterly data was obtained from robust management information system maintained periodically, for analysing skill shift after providing mentoring and supportive supervision. A significant increase was seen in knowledge and service delivery on preconception care (PCC) from pre to post-test among MTs, ANMs, ASHAs and AWWs (7.8%, 15.8%, 16.1% and 29.2%; p ≤ 0.000). The logistic regression analysis depicted that different cadres of HCPs post training are more likely to have better knowledge on pre-conception care (PCC) and CoC, after adjusting for potential confounders. Significant shift is observed in knowledge, counselling and service delivery practices among HCPs about contraceptives, screening for complex diseases like diabetes, and hypertension, counselling for motherhood and delay in pregnancy for YMW. The present study indicates that trainings along-with mentoring and supportive supervision of HCPs on PCC, need emphasis to achieve better maternal and child health outcomes.