Scoping review maps transdisciplinary training programs in low-resource healthcare settings

A scoping review published in BMC Health Services Research has synthesized the available evidence on transdisciplinary training programs designed to support healthcare delivery in low-resource settings, finding that such programs are concentrated in the African and Southeast Asian WHO regions and focus heavily on maternal and obstetric health, mental health, and cardiovascular conditions. The review, led by Sidhiprada Mohapatra and colleagues, was registered on the Open Science Framework and followed JBI methodological guidance.

Transdisciplinary training, as defined in the review, is used when shortages of healthcare professionals make it necessary to train professionals beyond their primary discipline to provide needed services. The authors note that individuals living in lower-socioeconomic areas often experience lower-quality care due to workforce shortages, and that the structure, delivery, and challenges of transdisciplinary training programs in low-resource settings have been under-reported. The review aimed to synthesize the evidence on such programs that promote healthcare delivery in these settings.

Methodologically, the review team searched five electronic databases using keywords and MeSH terms related to transdisciplinary training and low-resource settings. Before screening, reviewers conducted calibration exercises on a sample of studies to ensure consistent interpretation of eligibility criteria. Using Covidence, two reviewers screened titles and abstracts and then full-text articles, with disagreements resolved through discussion. Data were extracted on study characteristics, training program details, evaluation, and challenges, with charting completed independently by two reviewers and results summarised using descriptive analysis.

Across the 39 included studies, 27, or 69 percent, came from the African and Southeast Asian WHO regions. Transdisciplinary training primarily addressed non-communicable health conditions, with a strong focus on maternal and obstetric health in 38 percent of studies, mental health in 28 percent, and cardiovascular conditions in 18 percent. Most programs were delivered face-to-face or through blended approaches, accounting for 82 percent of studies, and 87 percent included supervisory support. Nearly half of the studies, 49 percent, reported short-duration training.

The studies assessed training effectiveness using questionnaires, practical skill assessments, observational methods, and qualitative interviews. However, long-term follow-ups beyond three months were rare, appearing in only 13 percent of studies. The review’s authors concluded that while some studies reported improved patient outcomes, limitations in study design, outcome measurement, and follow-up indicate a need for higher-quality studies. They called for future research to prioritize rigorous evaluation, sustained supervision, technology-assisted delivery, and longer-term follow-ups.

Beyond program characteristics, the review examined the factors that influence implementation. Authors of the included studies reflected on factors operating at individual, community, organizational, and policy or system levels. Stakeholder engagement and resource availability were commonly reported as key influences on transdisciplinary training. The review’s conclusion emphasizes that embedding transdisciplinary training within multilevel health system supports is critical for sustaining workforce capacity and service quality in low-resource settings.

The review characterizes its findings as evidence of growing professional-to-professional transdisciplinary training in low-resource settings. As a scoping review, it maps the existing literature rather than pooling effect estimates, and its conclusions about evidence quality rest on the design and follow-up limitations the authors identified across the included studies. The article was published open access on 27 October 2026, with the publisher noting that an early version was shared to provide faster access to peer-reviewed, accepted research, citable with a permanent DOI and subject to further edits before the final Version of Record.

For health services researchers and workforce planners, the review offers a structured picture of how transdisciplinary training is currently being structured and evaluated in settings where professional shortages constrain care. Its descriptive findings on delivery modes, supervision, and duration, together with its multilevel implementation framework, are intended to inform the design of future training programs and the more rigorous evaluations the authors say the field now requires.

Subject of Research: Transdisciplinary training programs for healthcare delivery in low-resource settings

Article Title: Transdisciplinary training approaches to support healthcare delivery in low-resource settings: a scoping review

Article References: Mohapatra, S., Coutinho, F., Benny, L., G., A., Nath, S. Y., Seaton, S., Liougas, M., Agnes, T., & Colquhoun, H. (2026). Transdisciplinary training approaches to support healthcare delivery in low-resource settings: a scoping review. BMC Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15840-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-026-15840-0

Keywords: transdisciplinary training, scoping review, low-resource settings, health workforce, workforce shortages, maternal health, mental health, cardiovascular health, supervision, BMC Health Services Research, health systems, task shifting