Overview
The ICMR funded Centre for Advanced Research for the RAHAT project is a five-year initiative aims to address healthcare disparities in rural India by tackling the dual burden of disease, environmental pollution, climate change, and emerging infections. High-quality research and improved healthcare access are central to this initiative.
RAHAT Project aims to:
- Enhance the research capacity of medical students by implementing short and certificate courses across all the years of the project, fostering a robust foundation for evidence-based practices.
- Create rural research infrastructure at participating medical institutions for health research and knowledge exchange.
- Formulate a participatory rural healthcare model by engaging communities and leveraging task shifting strategies along with digital health interventions.
- Implement and evaluate the program’s effectiveness on health outcomes using a quasi-experimental study design and a mixed methods approach to capture perceptions of both the community and healthcare providers.
- Assess the health system changes resulting from the initiative using the RE-AIM framework, with PROGRESS-Plus.
Research Methodology
Type of Study:
A formative research for the selected study site will be conducted at institute/college, health facility, and community levels. This is done to assess research capacity of the medical colleges, health facility infrastructure, and ensure community engagement to achieve a participatory rural healthcare model. A cross-sectional survey will be conducted at the community level (selected villages) at baseline and endline to evaluate healthcare service utilization and health parameter changes. A quasi-experimental study design will be used, with pre- and post-evaluations to measure effectiveness and impact on health outcomes. Surveys will be conducted at RHTCs and their respective villages.
Study Sites
Study Duration:
The initiative will span across five years, following a phased approach: preparatory phase, co-design, vanguard phase, implementation, and project evaluation.
Implementation Design:
Implementation will follow the “Theory of Change” framework and address the continuum of care.
Theory of Change Framework:
We will use the theory of change framework; an approach that outlines the anticipated process through which a particular intervention or a series of interventions is projected to bring about distinct developmental transformations. This involves utilizing a causal analysis grounded in existing evidence.
Continuum of Care
This involves a structured referral process ensuring seamless transitions between community, facility, and urban medical institution levels. Community needs assessments and digital health records identify individuals requiring advanced care, guiding personalized health interventions. Referrals to designated facilities (RHTCs) with assisted telemedicine occur as needed, with further escalation to urban institutions (MRUs, RDs) for specialized care. Post-treatment, reintegration into the community maintains continuity via digital records. This bidirectional, iterative process fosters a comprehensive, interconnected healthcare system, improving overall health outcomes.
Expected Outcomes:
- Improved research capacity, better access and patient satisfaction, better utilization of health services, reduced disparities, improved health outcomes and high-quality antenatal care, non-communicable and through digitally enabled health facilities.
- A scalable, sustainable, and replicable rural intervention model using participatory approach.
- Improved health seeking behaviour and compliance to care through digital health literacy and health promotion.