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Physicians’ Perspectives Regarding Informal Health Practitioners in Bangladesh
Zahid Hasan Khan
Zahid Hasan Khan
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh;
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Olivia R. Hanson
Olivia R. Hanson
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah;
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Mohammad Ashraful Amin
Mohammad Ashraful Amin
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh;
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Ishtiakul I. Khan
Ishtiakul I. Khan
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh;
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Debashish Biswas
Debashish Biswas
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh;
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Md. Taufiqul Islam
Md. Taufiqul Islam
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh;
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Eric J. Nelson
Eric J. Nelson
Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida;
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Aparna Mangadu
Aparna Mangadu
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah;
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Firdausi Qadri
Firdausi Qadri
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh;
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Melissa H. Watt
Melissa H. Watt
Department of Population Health Sciences, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Daniel T. Leung
daniel.leung@utah.edu
Daniel T. Leung
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah;
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Ashraful Islam Khan
Ashraful Islam Khan
International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh;
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Rural Bangladesh faces challenges of limited health care resources and a shortage of health care professionals. Informal providers, particularly village doctors, fill this void by being a first point of care and a bridge to the formal health care system. This study explores formally trained physicians’ perspectives on village doctors’ role in the health care system. This qualitative study was conducted in southeast Bangladesh and included 12 individual in-depth interviews with physicians. Data were analyzed using applied thematic analysis, focusing on both the contributions and shortcomings of village doctors. Three themes emerged for positive contributions of village doctors: 1) provision of essential services and resources in isolated areas, 2) enhanced accessibility and familiarity with the community, and 3) active involvement in public health education. Five themes emerged related to the shortcomings and negative impacts of village doctors: 1) insufficient education and training, 2) use of inappropriate treatments, 3) inappropriate referrals, 4) misuse and overuse of antibiotics, and 5) prioritization of financial gain. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between formal and informal health care providers, emphasizing both the contributions and shortcomings of village doctors in rural health care settings.
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Author Notes
Financial support: This work was supported by the
Disclosures: The authors state no conflicts of interest. This study was approved by the ethics review boards of the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh and the University of Utah. All study participants provided oral informed consent, and no financial incentives were provided for their participation.
Data availability: Given the nature of the qualitative data, the research team has decided not to release the data on a public repository. Please contact the corresponding author with any inquiries.
Current contact information: Zahid Hasan Khan, Mohammad Ashraful Amin, Ishtiakul I. Khan, Debashish Biswas, Md. Taufiqul Islam, Firdausi Qadri, and Ashraful Islam Khan, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh, E-mails: zahid.hasan@icddrb.org, ashraful.amin@icddrb.org, ishtiakul.khan@icddrb.org, debashish@icddrb.org, taufiqulislam@icddrb.org, fqadri@icddrb.org, and ashrafk@icddrb.org. Olivia R. Hanson, Aparna Mangadu, and Daniel T. Leung, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, E-mails: olivia.hanson@hsc.utah.edu, aparna.mangadu@utah.edu, and daniel.leung@utah.edu. Eric J. Nelson, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, E-mail: eric.nelson@ufl.edu. Melissa H. Watt, Department of Population Health Sciences, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, E-mail: melissa.watt@hsc.utah.edu.
| Past two years | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 308 | 308 | 308 |
| Full Text Views | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| PDF Downloads | 5 | 5 | 5 |