CIESAS' Evaluation of the ALSO Program

By: Emily Puckart, Program Associate, MHTF

Since May 2010, the MHTF has supported the Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropologia Social (CIESAS) in conducting an assessment of the Advance Life Support for Obstetrics Program (ALSO). This program is utilized by the Mexican Ministry of Health in managing obstetric emergencies in Oaxaca province. The data collection for the study was undertaken in Oaxaca, Mexico at the hospital Dr. Aurelio Valdivieso.

The ALSO training course was developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians and tries to promote a common language and team environment with the aim of successfully managing obstetric emergencies. In order to determine the effectiveness of the ALSO course in improving technical skills and morale of OB/GYNs in managing obstetric emergencies, CIESAS used direct observation of obstetric emergencies at the hospital, medical chart review, and interviews with patients, medical providers, and other key stakeholders.

You can read through a CIESAS presentation (PDF) from the Annual meeting of the American Public Health Association. In this presentation, CIESAS discusses the maternal health background in Oaxaca, the study objectives and methodology, and preliminary findings from the data collection on site at Dr. Aurelio Valdivieso hospital, and the in-depth interviews with ALSO stakeholders.