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Wagner Z, Mohanan M, Zutshi R, Mukherji A, Sood N. What drives poor quality of care for child diarrhea? Experimental evidence from India. Science 2024; 383:eadj9986. [PMID: 38330118 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj9986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Most health care providers in developing countries know that oral rehydration salts (ORS) are a lifesaving and inexpensive treatment for child diarrhea, yet few prescribe it. This know-do gap has puzzled experts for decades. Using randomized experiments in India, we estimated the extent to which ORS underprescription is driven by perceptions that patients do not want ORS, provider's financial incentives, and ORS stock-outs (out-of-stock events). Patients expressing a preference for ORS increased ORS prescribing by 27 percentage points. Eliminating stock-outs increased ORS provision by 7 percentage points. Removing financial incentives did not affect ORS prescribing on average but did increase ORS prescribing at pharmacies. We estimate that perceptions that patients do not want ORS explain 42% of underprescribing, whereas stock-outs and financial incentives explain only 6 and 5%, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Wagner
- Department of Economics, Sociology and Statistics, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Pardee RAND Graduate School, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Manoj Mohanan
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rushil Zutshi
- Department of Economics, Sociology and Statistics, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA
- Pardee RAND Graduate School, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherji
- Center for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Neeraj Sood
- Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Boone CE, Gertler PJ, Barasa GM, Gruber J, Kwan A. Can a private sector engagement intervention that prioritizes pro-poor strategies improve healthcare access and quality? A randomized field experiment in Kenya. Health Policy Plan 2023; 38:1006-1016. [PMID: 37602984 PMCID: PMC11020211 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czad076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Private sector engagement in health reform has been suggested to help reduce healthcare inequities in sub-Saharan Africa, where populations with the most need seek the least care. We study the effects of African Health Markets for Equity (AHME), a cluster randomized controlled trial carried out in Kenya from 2012 to 2020 at 199 private health clinics. AHME included four clinic-level interventions: social health insurance, social franchising, SafeCare quality-of-care certification programme and business support. This paper evaluates whether AHME increased the capacity of private health clinics to serve poor clients while maintaining or enhancing the quality of care provided. At endline, clinics that received AHME were 14.5 percentage points (pp) more likely to be empanelled with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), served 51% more NHIF clients and served more clients from the middle three quintiles of the wealth distribution compared to control clinics. Comparing individuals living in households near AHME treatment and control clinics (N = 8241), AHME led to a 6.7-pp increase in the probability of holding any health insurance on average. We did not find any additional effect of AHME on insurance holding among poor households. We measured quality of care using a standardized patient (SP) experiment (N = 596 SP-provider interactions) where recruited and trained SPs were randomized to present as either 'not poor', and able to afford all services provided, or 'poor' by telling the provider they could only afford ∼300 Kenyan Shillings (US$3) in fees. We found that poor SPs received lower levels of both correct and unnecessary services, and AHME did not affect this. More work must be done to ensure that clients of all wealth levels receive high-quality care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Boone
- Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, 5807 S. Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Paul J Gertler
- Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley, 2220 Piedmont Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Joshua Gruber
- Center for Effective Global Action, University of California Berkeley, Giannini Hall, 251 Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ada Kwan
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
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Concepcion T, Mogere P, Ngure K, Mwathi N, Njiru R, Kipkorir B, Kiptinness C, Maina G, Owidi E, Owens T, Kohler P, Wagenaar BH, Dorsey S, Collins PY, Velloza J. Higher rates of mental health screening of adolescents recorded after provider training using simulated patients in a Kenyan HIV clinic: results of a pilot study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1209525. [PMID: 37808984 PMCID: PMC10556463 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1209525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Kenyan adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) experience a dual burden of HIV and common mental disorders (CMD). HIV clinics are a key entry point for AGYW in need of integrated CMD and HIV care; however, rates of screening and referral for CMDs are low. Our objective was to test an evidence-based provider training strategy, simulated patient encounters (SPEs), on CMD service delivery for AGYW in a Kenyan HIV clinic. Methods This pilot study was conducted in a public HIV clinic in Thika, Kenya from January to November 2021. The simulated patient encounter (SPE) implementation strategy included case script development from prior qualitative work, patient actor training, and a three-day SPE training including four standardized mock clinical encounters followed by quantitative surveys assessing provider competencies for each encounter. We abstracted medical record data related to HIV and CMDs such as HIV status, reason for visit, CMD screening test performed, and counselling or referral information. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis using abstracted HIV and CMD screening rates from AGYW ages 16-25 years visiting the clinic 7 months before and 3 months after SPE training. We used generalized linear models to assess changes in CMD screening rates after training. Results A total of 10 providers participated in the training. Competency ratings improved across four mock encounters (mean score from 8.1 to 13.7) between first and fourth encounters. We abstracted all medical records (n = 1,154) including from 888 (76%) AGYW seeking HIV treatment, 243 (21%) seeking prevention services, and 34 (3%) seeking other services. CMD screening rates increased immediately following training from 8 to 21% [relative risk (RR) = 2.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.34-4.90, p < 0.01]. The 3 months following the SPE training resulted in an 11% relative increase in CMD screening proportion compared to the 7 months pre-SPE (RR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04-1.17, p < 0.01). Finally, 1% of all pre-SPE screens resulted in referral versus 5% of post-SPE screens (p = 0.07). Conclusion The SPE model is a promising implementation strategy for improving HIV provider competencies and CMD service delivery for adolescents in HIV clinics. Future research is needed to explore effects on adolescent clinical outcomes in larger trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Concepcion
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Peter Mogere
- Partners in Health and Research Development, Thika, Kenya
| | - Kenneth Ngure
- School of Public Health, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Njoroge Mwathi
- Partners in Health and Research Development, Thika, Kenya
| | - Roy Njiru
- Partners in Health and Research Development, Thika, Kenya
| | - Boaz Kipkorir
- Partners in Health and Research Development, Thika, Kenya
| | | | - Gakuo Maina
- Partners in Health and Research Development, Thika, Kenya
| | - Emmah Owidi
- Partners in Health and Research Development, Thika, Kenya
| | - Tamara Owens
- Simulation and Clinical Skills Center, Howard University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Pamela Kohler
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Bradley H Wagenaar
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Shannon Dorsey
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Pamela Y Collins
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Jennifer Velloza
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Lagarde M, Blaauw D. Levels and determinants of overprescribing of antibiotics in the public and private primary care sectors in South Africa. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:e012374. [PMID: 37524502 PMCID: PMC10391785 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Although overprovision of antibiotics in primary care is a key driver of antibiotic resistance, little is known about its determinants in low-income and middle-income countries. Patient demand and financial incentives for providers are often held responsible for overprovision. Yet, inadequate provision exists in their absence and could be fuelled by quality of care issues and incorrect beliefs of providers regarding patients' expectations. We explored these issues in the private and public sector in South Africa, by conducting a cross-sectional study using standardised patients (SPs)-healthy individuals trained to portray a scripted clinical case to providers-presenting with symptoms of a viral respiratory infection in a sample of public and private sector clinics. We linked data from SP visits to rich survey data to compare the practices and their predictors in the two sectors. Unnecessary rates of antibiotics were similarly high in the public (78%) and private sector (67%), but private providers prescribed more antibiotics at higher risk of resistance development. In the private sector, overprescription of antibiotics diminished when consultations were more thorough, but increased for consultations scheduled later in the day, suggesting contrasting effects for provider effort and decision fatigue. We observed differences in beliefs that could be responsible for overprescription: in the public sector, a majority of providers (nurses) wrongly believed that antibiotics would help the patient recover more quickly. In the private sector, a majority of doctors thought patients would not come back if they did not receive antibiotics. Overall, this evidence suggests that different factors may be responsible for the high overprescribing rates of antibiotics in the public and private sectors. Tailored stewardship interventions are urgently needed that tackle providers' engrained habits and incorrect beliefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylene Lagarde
- Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Duane Blaauw
- Center for Health Policy, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Kwan A, Boone CE, Sulis G, Gertler PJ. Do private providers give patients what they demand, even if it is inappropriate? A randomised study using unannounced standardised patients in Kenya. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e058746. [PMID: 35304401 PMCID: PMC8935168 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Low and varied quality of care has been demonstrated for childhood illnesses in low-income and middle-income countries. Some quality improvement strategies focus on increasing patient engagement; however, evidence suggests that patients demanding medicines can favour the selection of resistant microbial strains in the individual and the community if drugs are inappropriately used. This study examines the effects on quality of care when patients demand different types of inappropriate medicines. METHODS We conducted an experiment where unannounced standardised patients (SPs), locally recruited individuals trained to simulate a standardised case, present at private clinics. Between 8 March and 28 May 2019, 10 SPs portraying caretakers of a watery diarrhoea childhood case scenario (in absentia) conducted N=200 visits at 200 private, primary care clinics in Kenya. Half of the clinics were randomly assigned to receive an SP demanding amoxicillin (an antibiotic); the other half, an SP demanding albendazole (an antiparasitic drug often used for deworming), with other presenting characteristics the same. We used logistic and linear regression models to assess the effects of demanding these inappropriate medicines on correct and unnecessary case management outcomes. RESULTS Compared with 3% among those who did not demand albendazole, the dispensing rate increased significantly to 34% for those who did (adjusted OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.22, p<0.0001). Providers did not give different levels of amoxicillin between those demanding it and those not demanding it (adjusted OR 1.73, 95% CI 0.51 to 5.82). Neither significantly changed any correct management outcomes, such as treatment or referral elsewhere. CONCLUSION Private providers appear to account for both business-driven benefits and individual health impacts when making prescribing decisions. Additional research is needed on provider knowledge and perceptions of profit and individual and community health trade-offs when making prescription decisions after patients demand different types of inappropriate medicines. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS American Economic Association Registry (#AEARCTR-0000217) and Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (#PACTR201502000770329).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Kwan
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Division of Health Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Claire E Boone
- Division of Health Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Giorgia Sulis
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Paul J Gertler
- University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business, Berkeley, California, USA
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