AUTHOR=Mishra Abhisek , Singh Arvind Kumar , Parida Swayam Pragyan , Pradhan Somen Kumar , Nair Jyolsna 

TITLE=Understanding Community Participation in Rural Health Care: A Participatory Learning and Action Approach

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.860792

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.860792

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Community participation is one of the founding pillars of primary health care. However, due to various reasons, we are yet to achieve complete integration of this component into the health system functioning in India. The objective of our study is to do a formative assessment of community participation in a rural healthcare setting by adopting participatory learning action (PLA) technique. The study participants included frontline health workers and members from local governing institutions of rural areas. The study design is qualitative in nature with a participatory approach. Three PLA techniques has been used as a part of this study to recognize available resources for community participation, address its barriers and facilitators and finally devise a time-line based action plan. Based on the this a conceptual framework for community participation pertaining to the rural healthcare system has been developed. This study highlights the importance of understanding the psychosocial aspects of community participation among of various stakeholders involved in rural healthcare. Lessons learned from this PLA study will be helpful in integration of community-based participatory approach within grassroots level healthcare planning and service delivery..