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Dublin S, Bermudez D, Ortiz C, Tobier N, Levy J, Hargarten L. Improving Linkages Between Sexual and Reproductive Health and Substance Use Providers: The Partnership to Advance Integrated Referrals. Qual Manag Health Care 2024:00019514-990000000-00086. [PMID: 39146386 DOI: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Women of reproductive age with substance use (SU) disorders have lower rates of contraceptive use and higher rates of unintended pregnancy than women without SU disorders and are less likely to access treatment than men. Integration of SU and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, using a model known as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), has been proven effective in reducing SU and improving health care equity. The SBIRT model includes screening, brief intervention (a short client-centered conversation providing an opportunity to identify/discuss concerns), and referral to treatment. The purpose of this study was to test whether an established quality improvement (QI) learning collaborative model could be used to support SU and SRH sites in implementing an SBIRT/SBIRT-like model to improve health outcomes for women. Five SRH sites and 4 SU sites across New York State participated in the Partnership to Advance Integrated Referrals (PAIR), an 18-month QI learning collaborative designed and implemented by Public Health Solutions. METHODS Six standardized mixed-methods data collection tools were used over 18 months to gather process and outcome data from over 130 QI team members and site staff and over 5000 clients. RESULTS By the end of PAIR, QI team members and site staff showed a reduction in bias, increased knowledge and comfort, increased rating of organizational practices related to client-centered care, and increased access to peer learning, information about best practices, and training and technical assistance. SU sites increased SRH screening from 47.9% in the first quarter of data collection to 67.4% in the final quarter and increased brief interventions from 92.5% in the first quarter to 100.0% in the final quarter. Similarly, SRH sites increased SU screening from 51.6% to 75.6% and increased brief interventions from 81.3% to 85.1%. The processes and outcomes were very different for the SU and SRH sites, and their varying successes and challenges are discussed. Making and verifying referrals remained challenging. CONCLUSIONS The results of PAIR demonstrated the feasibility of SU and SRH sites implementing an SBIRT/SBIRT-like model when supported by a QI learning collaborative. Larger community and organizational challenges (COVID-19, staff turnover) still present barriers to improved reproductive health and SU outcomes for women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Dublin
- Author Affiliations: Sonya Dublin Consulting, Berkeley, California (Ms Dublin); Public Health Solutions, New York, New York (Mss Bermudez, Tobier and Hargarten); ETR, Scotts Valley, California (Ms Ortiz); and Joslyn Levy & Associates, New York, New York (Ms Levy)
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Kumwenda W, Bengtson AM, Wallie S, Chikaonda T, Matoga M, Bula AK, Villiera JB, Kamanga E, Hosseinipour MC, Mwapasa V. Acceptability and feasibility of using a blended quality improvement strategy among health workers to monitor women engagement in Option B+ program in Lilongwe Malawi. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:842. [PMID: 39061055 PMCID: PMC11282652 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11342-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Option B + provides lifelong ART to pregnant and breastfeeding women with HIV to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV (eMTCT) and improve maternal health. The effectiveness of Option B + relies on continuous engagement, but suboptimal monitoring of HIV care hinders our measurements of engagement. Process mapping and quality improvement (PROMAQI) is a quality improvement strategy for healthcare workers (HCWs) to optimize complex processes such as monitoring HIV care. We assessed the acceptability and feasibility of the PROMAQI among HCWs and identified barriers and facilitators for PROMAQI implementation. A cross-sectional study using a mixed method approach was conducted from August 2021 to March 2022 across five urban health facilities participating in PROMAQI implementation n the Lilongwe district, Malawi. We assessed PROMAQI acceptability and feasibility at the end of the study. A 5-point Likert (1 = worst to 5 = best) scale tool was administered to 110 HCWs (n = 15-33 per facility) involved in PROMAQI implementationThese data were analysed using descriptive statistics Among the 110 HCWs, twenty-two (QI team (n = 11) and QI implementers (n = 11)) were purposively selected for in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted using deducted and inductive approaches. The theoretical framework for acceptability (TFA) was used to identify reasons for acceptability. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to characterize the barriers and facilitators of PROMAQI implementation. HCWs recruited had a median age of 37 (32-43) years, 82.0% of whom were female. Most (42%) had completed secondary education, and 84% were nurses and community health workers. The median (IQR) acceptability and feasibility scores for the PROMAQI were 5 (IQR 4-5) and 4 (IQR 4-5), respectively. Reasons for high PROMAQI acceptability included addressing a relevant gap and improving performance. Perceived implementation barriers included poor work attitudes, time constraints, resource limitations, knowledge gaps, and workbook difficulties. The facilitators included communication, mentorship, training, and financial incentives. PROMAQI is a highly acceptable and feasible tool for monitoring engagement of women in Option B + . Addressing these barriers may optimize the implementation of PROMAQI. Scaling up PROMAQI may enhance retention in the Option B + program and facilitate eMTCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiza Kumwenda
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi.
- Department of Community and Environmental Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
| | | | - Shaphil Wallie
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Tarsizious Chikaonda
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Mitch Matoga
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Agatha K Bula
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Jimmy Ba Villiera
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Edith Kamanga
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Mina C Hosseinipour
- UNC Project-Malawi, Tidziwe Center, P/Bag A104, 100 Mzimba Road, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Victor Mwapasa
- Department of Community and Environmental Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
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Roth MJ, Maggio LA, Costello JA, Samuel A. E-learning Interventions for Quality Improvement Continuing Medical Education-A Scoping Review. THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS 2024:00005141-990000000-00116. [PMID: 39028318 DOI: 10.1097/ceh.0000000000000564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Improving health care quality and patient safety are top priorities for the medical field. Robust continuing medical education (CME) programs represent major interventions to effectively teach quality improvement (QI) principles to practicing physicians. In particular, eLearning, a term describing online and distance learning interventions using digital tools, provides a means for CME interventions to reach broader audiences. Although there has been a focus on CME addressing QI, no knowledge synthesis has focused specifically on eLearning interventions. The purpose of this review was to examine the current landscape of eLearning interventions in QI-focused CME. METHODS We conducted a scoping review using the framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley as revised by Levac. We searched five databases and identified 2467 prospective publications, which two authors independently screened for inclusion. From each included article, two authors independently extracted data on the instructional modalities and QI tools used and met regularly to achieve consensus. RESULTS Twenty-one studies were included. Most studies used blended instruction (n = 12) rather than solely eLearning interventions. Salient findings included the importance of coaching from QI experts and institutional support for planning and implementing eLearning interventions. Lack of protected time and resources for participants were identified as barriers to participation in CME activities, with small practices being disproportionately affected. DISCUSSION Partnerships between CME developers and sponsoring organizations are vital in creating sustainable eLearning interventions for QI-focused CME. Remote coaching can be an effective strategy to provide ongoing support to geographically separated learners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Roth
- Dr. Roth: Assistant Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. Dr. Maggio: Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. Mr. Costello: Research Associate, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. Dr. Samuel: Associate Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
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Jimenez EE, Rosland AM, Stockdale SE, Reddy A, Wong MS, Torrence N, Huynh A, Chang ET. Implementing evidence-based practices to improve primary care for high-risk patients: study protocol for the VA high-RIsk VETerans (RIVET) type III effectiveness-implementation trial. Implement Sci Commun 2024; 5:75. [PMID: 39010160 PMCID: PMC11251253 DOI: 10.1186/s43058-024-00613-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with significant multimorbidity and other factors that make healthcare challenging to access and coordinate are at high risk for poor health outcomes. Although most (93%) of Veterans' Health Administration (VHA) patients at high risk for hospitalization or death ("high-risk Veterans") are primarily managed by primary care teams, few of these teams have implemented evidence-based practices (EBPs) known to improve outcomes for the high-risk patient population's complex healthcare issues. Effective implementation strategies could increase adoption of these EBPs in primary care; however, the most effective implementation strategies to increase evidence-based care for high-risk patients are unknown. The high-RIsk VETerans (RIVET) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) will compare two variants of Evidence-Based Quality Improvement (EBQI) strategies to implement two distinct EBPs for high-risk Veterans: individual coaching (EBQI-IC; tailored training with individual implementation sites to meet site-specific needs) versus learning collaborative (EBQI-LC; implementation sites trained in groups to encourage collaboration among sites). One EBP, Comprehensive Assessment and Care Planning (CACP), guides teams in addressing patients' cognitive, functional, and social needs through a comprehensive care plan. The other EBP, Medication Adherence Assessment (MAA), addresses common challenges to medication adherence using a patient-centered approach. METHODS We will recruit and randomize 16 sites to either EBQI-IC or EBQI-LC to implement one of the EBPs, chosen by the site. Each site will have a site champion (front-line staff) who will participate in 18 months of EBQI facilitation. ANALYSIS We will use a mixed-methods type 3 hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation trial to test EBQI-IC versus EBQI-LC versus usual care using a Concurrent Stepped Wedge design. We will use the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) framework to compare and evaluate Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and costs. We will then assess the maintenance/sustainment and spread of both EBPs in primary care after the 18-month implementation period. Our primary outcome will be Reach, measured by the percentage of eligible high-risk patients who received the EBP. DISCUSSION Our study will identify which implementation strategy is most effective overall, and under various contexts, accounting for unique barriers, facilitators, EBP characteristics, and adaptations. Ultimately this study will identify ways for primary care clinics and teams to choose implementation strategies that can improve care and outcomes for patients with complex healthcare needs. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05050643. Registered September 9th, 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05050643 PROTOCOL VERSION: This protocol is Version 1.0 which was created on 6/3/2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira E Jimenez
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA.
- Department of Neurology, David Gefen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Ann-Marie Rosland
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, 1 University Dr, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA
- Caring for Complex Chronic Conditions Research Center & Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3550 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Susan E Stockdale
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ashok Reddy
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Ave, Box 359780, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
- Center for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Michelle S Wong
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Natasha Torrence
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, 1 University Dr, Pittsburgh, PA, 15240, USA
- Caring for Complex Chronic Conditions Research Center & Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3550 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Alexis Huynh
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Evelyn T Chang
- Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, David Gefen School of Medicine, UCLA, 740 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Van Wilder A, Bruyneel L, Cox B, Claessens F, De Ridder D, Janssens S, Vanhaecht K. Call for Action to Target Interhospital Variation in Cardiovascular Mortality, Readmissions, and Length-of-Stay: Results of a National Population Analysis. Med Care 2024; 62:489-499. [PMID: 38775668 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000002012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive interhospital variation threatens healthcare quality. Data on variation in patient outcomes across the whole cardiovascular spectrum are lacking. We aimed to examine interhospital variability for 28 cardiovascular All Patient Refined-Diagnosis-related Groups (APR-DRGs). METHODS We studied 103,299 cardiovascular admissions in 99 (98%) Belgian acute-care hospitals between 2012 and 2018. Using generalized linear mixed models, we estimated hospital-specific and APR-DRG-specific risk-standardized rates for in-hospital mortality, 30-day readmissions, and length-of-stay above the APR-DRG-specific 90th percentile. Interhospital variation was assessed based on estimated variance components and time trends between the 2012-2014 and 2016-2018 periods were examined. RESULTS There was strong evidence of interhospital variation, with statistically significant variation across the 3 outcomes for 5 APR-DRGs after accounting for patient and hospital factors: percutaneous cardiovascular procedures with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, hypertension, angina pectoris, and arrhythmia. Medical diagnoses, with in particular hypertension, heart failure, angina pectoris, and cardiac arrest, showed strongest variability, with hypertension displaying the largest median odds ratio for mortality (2.51). Overall, hospitals performing at the upper-quartile level should achieve improvements to the median level, and an annual 633 deaths, 322 readmissions, and 1578 extended hospital stays could potentially be avoided. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of interhospital variation highlights important outcome differences that are not explained by known patient or hospital characteristics. Targeting variation is therefore a promising strategy to improve cardiovascular care. Considering their treatment in multidisciplinary teams, policy makers, and managers should prioritize heart failure, hypertension, cardiac arrest, and angina pectoris improvements by targeting guideline implementation outside the cardiology department.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Van Wilder
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luk Bruyneel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bianca Cox
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fien Claessens
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dirk De Ridder
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Quality, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Urology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stefan Janssens
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kris Vanhaecht
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Urology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
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Carstensen K, Goldman J, Kjeldsen AM, Lou S, Nielsen CP. Engaging health care professionals in quality improvement: A qualitative study exploring the synergies between projects of professionalisation and institutionalisation in quality improvement collaborative implementation in Denmark. J Health Serv Res Policy 2024; 29:163-172. [PMID: 38308439 PMCID: PMC11151708 DOI: 10.1177/13558196241231169] [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] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the projects of professionalisation and institutionalisation forming health care professions' engagement in quality improvement collaborative (QIC) implementation in Denmark, and to analyse the synergies and tensions between the two projects given the opportunities afforded by the QICs. METHODS This was a cross-sectional interview study with professionals involved in the implementation of two national QICs in Denmark involving 23 individual interviews and focus group discussions with 75 people representing different professional groups. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the data, drawing on institutional contributions to organisational studies of professions. RESULTS Study participants engaged widely in QIC implementation. This engagement was formed by a constructive interplay between the professions' projects of professionalisation and institutionalisation, with only few tensions identified. The project of professionalisation relates to a self-oriented agenda of contributing professional expertise and promoting professional recognition and development, while the project of institutionalisation focuses on improving health care processes and outcomes and advancing quality improvement. Both projects were largely similar across professional groups. The interplay between the two projects was enabled by the bottom-up approach to implementation, participation of QI specialists, and a clear focus on developing and delivering high-quality patient care. CONCLUSIONS Future strategies for QIC implementation should position QICs as a framework that promotes the integration of professions' projects of professionalisation and institutionalisation to successfully engage professionals in the implementation process, and thereby optimise the effectiveness of QICs in health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine Carstensen
- PhD Student, DEFACTUM, Public Health Research, Central Denmark Region, and Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Joanne Goldman
- Assistant Professor, Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anne Mette Kjeldsen
- Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Stina Lou
- Senior Researcher and Associate Professor, DEFACTUM, Public Health Research, Central Denmark Region, and Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Camilla Palmhøj Nielsen
- Research Director and Associate Professor, DEFACTUM, Public Health Research, Central Denmark Region and Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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O'Mahony D, Pinto CF, Orem J, Mcleod M, Aggarwal A, Gralow JR. Impact of Medical Oncology-Focused Quality Programs on Cancer Care Around the World. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2024; 44:e432102. [PMID: 38870439 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_432102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Quality cancer care is efficient, accessible, coordinated, and evidence-based. Recognizing the necessary key components, development of pathways and guidelines to incorporate these key domains, and finally respectful adaptation to cultural differences can ensure that cancer care globally is of the highest quality. This quality care should be judged not only on how it optimizes health outcomes for patients, but also its impact on the care providers and the global community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Megan Mcleod
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Ajay Aggarwal
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine/Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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Sorensen J, Kadowaki L, Kervin L, Hamilton C, Berndt A, Dhadda S, Irfan A, Leong E, Mithani A. Quality improvement collaborative approach to COVID-19 pandemic preparedness in long-term care homes: a mixed-methods implementation study. BMJ Open Qual 2024; 13:e002589. [PMID: 38589056 PMCID: PMC11015329 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002589] [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: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care (LTC) homes underscores the importance of effective pandemic preparedness and response. This mixed-methods, implementation science study investigated how a virtual-based quality improvement (QI) collaborative approach can improve uptake of pandemic-related promising practices and shared learning across six LTC homes in British Columbia, Canada in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency. METHODS QI teams consisting of residents, family/informal caregivers, care providers and leadership in LTC homes are supported by QI facilitation and shared learning through virtual communication platforms. QI projects address gaps in outbreak preparation, prevention and response; planning for care; staffing; and family presence. Thematically analysed semi-structured qualitative interviews and a validated questionnaire on organisational readiness investigated participants' perceptions of challenges, success factors and benefits of participating in the virtual QI collaborative approach. RESULTS Nine themes were identified through interview analysis, including two related to challenges (ie, making time for QI and hands tied by external forces), four regarding factors for successes (ie, team buy-in, working together as a team, bringing together diverse perspectives and facilitators keep us on track) and three on the benefits of the QI collaborative approach (ie, seeing improvements, staff empowerment and appetite for change). Continuous QI facilitation and coaching for QI teams was feasible and sustainable virtually via video conferencing (Zoom). The QI team members showed limited engagement on the virtual communication platform (Slack), which was predominantly used by the implementation science team and QI facilitators to coordinate the study and QI projects, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The virtual-based QI collaborative approach to pandemic preparedness supported LTC homes to rapidly and successfully form multidisciplinary QI teams, learn about QI methods and conduct timely QI projects to implement promising practice for improved COVID-19 pandemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice Sorensen
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Kadowaki
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
- Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lucy Kervin
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
- Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Clayon Hamilton
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
- Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Annette Berndt
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Research Partners Group, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Simran Dhadda
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Abeera Irfan
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emma Leong
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Akber Mithani
- Long-Term Care and Assisted Living, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Gigaba SG, Luvuno Z, Bhana A, Janse van Rensburg A, Mthethwa L, Rao D, Hongo N, Petersen I. Collaborative implementation of an evidence-based package of integrated primary mental healthcare using quality improvement within a learning health systems approach: Lessons from the Mental health INTegration programme in South Africa. Learn Health Syst 2024; 8:e10389. [PMID: 38633025 PMCID: PMC11019379 DOI: 10.1002/lrh2.10389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The treatment gap for mental health disorders persists in low- and middle-income countries despite overwhelming evidence of the efficacy of task-sharing mental health interventions. Key barriers in the uptake of these innovations include the absence of policy to support implementation and diverting of staff from usual routines in health systems that are already overstretched. South Africa enjoys a conducive policy environment; however, strategies for operationalizing the policy ideals are lacking. This paper describes the Mental health INTegration Programme (MhINT), which adopted a health system strengthening approach to embed an evidence-based task-sharing care package for depression to integrate mental health care into chronic care at primary health care (PHC). Methods The MhINT care package consisting of psycho-education talks, nurse-led mental health assessment, and a structured psychosocial counselling intervention provided by lay counsellors was implemented in Amajuba district in KwaZulu-Natal over a 2-year period. A learning health systems approach was adopted, using continuous quality improvement (CQI) strategies to facilitate embedding of the intervention.MhINT was implemented along five phases: the project phase wherein teams to drive implementation were formed; the diagnostic phase where routinely collected data were used to identify system barriers to integrated mental health care; the intervention phase consisting of capacity building and using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to address implementation barriers and the impact and sustaining improvement phases entailed assessing the impact of the program and initiation of system-level interventions to sustain and institutionalize successful change ideas. Results Integrated planning and monitoring were enabled by including key mental health service indicators in weekly meetings designed to track the performance of noncommunicable diseases and human immunovirus clinical programmes. Lack of standardization in mental health screening prompted the validation of a mental health screening tool and testing feasibility of its use in centralized screening stations. A culture of collaborative problem-solving was promoted through CQI data-driven learning sessions. The province-level screening rate increased by 10%, whilst the district screening rate increased by 7% and new patients initiated to mental health treatment increased by 16%. Conclusions The CQI approach holds promise in facilitating the attainment of integrated mental health care in resource-scarce contexts. A collaborative relationship between researchers and health system stakeholders is an important strategy for facilitating the uptake of evidence-based innovations. However, the lack of interventions to address healthcare workers' own mental health poses a threat to integrated mental health care at PHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sithabisile Gugulethu Gigaba
- University of KwaZulu‐Natal Centre for Rural HealthSchool of Nursing and Public HealthDurbanSouth Africa
- Psychology DepartmentKwaZulu‐Natal Department of HealthDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Zamasomi Luvuno
- University of KwaZulu‐Natal Centre for Rural HealthSchool of Nursing and Public HealthDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Arvin Bhana
- South African Medical Research CouncilUniversity of KwaZulu‐Natal Centre for Rural HealthDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Andre Janse van Rensburg
- University of KwaZulu‐Natal Centre for Rural HealthSchool of Nursing and Public HealthDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Londiwe Mthethwa
- University of KwaZulu‐Natal Centre for Rural HealthSchool of Nursing and Public HealthDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Deepa Rao
- Department of Global HealthUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Nikiwe Hongo
- Mental Health DirectorateKwaZulu‐Natal Department of HealthDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Inge Petersen
- University of KwaZulu‐Natal Centre for Rural HealthSchool of Nursing and Public HealthDurbanSouth Africa
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Gillner S, Wild EM. How social networks influence the local implementation of initiatives developed in quality improvement collaboratives in health care: A qualitative process study. Health Care Manage Rev 2024; 49:148-157. [PMID: 38345340 DOI: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) have facilitated cross-organizational knowledge exchange in health care. However, the local implementation of many quality improvement (QI) initiatives continues to fail, signaling a need to better understand the contributing factors. Organizational context, particularly the role of social networks in facilitating or hindering implementation within organizations, remains a potentially critical yet underexplored area to addressing this gap. PURPOSE We took a dynamic process perspective to understand how QI project managers' social networks influence the local implementation of QI initiatives developed through QICs. METHODOLOGY We explored the case of a QIC by triangulating data from an online survey, semistructured interviews, and archival documents from 10 organizations. We divided implementation into four stages and employed qualitative text analysis to examine the relationship between three characteristics of network structure (degree centrality, network density, and betweenness centrality) and the progress of each QI initiative. RESULTS The progress of QI initiatives varied considerably among organizations. The transition between stages was influenced by all three network characteristics to varying degrees, depending on the stage. Project managers whose QI initiatives progressed to advanced stages of implementation had formed ad hoc clusters of colleagues passionate about the initiatives. CONCLUSION Implementing QI initiatives appears to be facilitated by the formation of clusters of supportive individuals within organizations; this formation requires high betweenness centrality and high network density. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Flexibly modifying specific network characteristics depending on the stage of implementation may help project managers advance their QI initiatives, achieving more uniform results from QICs.
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Rohweder CL, Morrison A, Mottus K, Young A, Caton L, Booth R, Reed C, Shea CM, Stover AM. Virtual quality improvement collaborative with primary care practices during COVID-19: a case study within a clinically integrated network. BMJ Open Qual 2024; 13:e002400. [PMID: 38351031 PMCID: PMC10868276 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002400] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) are a common approach to facilitate practice change and improve care delivery. Attention to QIC implementation processes and outcomes can inform best practices for designing and delivering collaborative content. In partnership with a clinically integrated network, we evaluated implementation outcomes for a virtual QIC with independent primary care practices delivered during COVID-19. METHODS We conducted a longitudinal case study evaluation of a virtual QIC in which practices participated in bimonthly online meetings and monthly tailored QI coaching sessions from July 2020 to June 2021. Implementation outcomes included: (1) level of engagement (meeting attendance and poll questions), (2) QI capacity (assessments completed by QI coaches), (3) use of QI tools (plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycles started and completed) and (4) participant perceptions of acceptability (interviews and surveys). RESULTS Seven clinics from five primary care practices participated in the virtual QIC. Of the seven sites, five were community health centres, three were in rural counties and clinic size ranged from 1 to 7 physicians. For engagement, all practices had at least one member attend all online QIC meetings and most (9/11 (82%)) poll respondents reported meeting with their QI coach at least once per month. For QI capacity, practice-level scores showed improvements in foundational, intermediate and advanced QI work. For QI tools used, 26 PDCA cycles were initiated with 9 completed. Most (10/11 (91%)) survey respondents were satisfied with their virtual QIC experience. Twelve interviews revealed additional themes such as challenges in obtaining real-time data and working with multiple electronic medical record systems. DISCUSSION A virtual QIC conducted with independent primary care practices during COVID-19 resulted in high participation and satisfaction. QI capacity and use of QI tools increased over 1 year. These implementation outcomes suggest that virtual QICs may be an attractive alternative to engage independent practices in QI work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L Rohweder
- Center for Women's Health Research, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Abigail Morrison
- Department of Health Behavior, The University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kathleen Mottus
- The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexa Young
- Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Caton
- The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, The University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ronni Booth
- UNC Health Alliance, UNC Health Care System, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christine Reed
- UNC Health Alliance, UNC Health Care System, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher M Shea
- The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, The University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Angela M Stover
- The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute (NC TraCS), The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Health Policy and Management, The University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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da Silva EP, Saturno-Hernández PJ, de Freitas MR, da Silva Gama ZA. Motivational drivers for health professionals in a large quality improvement collaborative project in Brazil: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:183. [PMID: 38336769 PMCID: PMC10854114 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10678-w] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The success of collaborative quality improvement (QI) projects in healthcare depends on the context and engagement of health teams; however, the factors that modulate teams' motivation to participate in these projects are still unclear. The objective of the current study was to explore the barriers to and facilitators of motivation; the perspective was health professionals in a large project aiming to implement evidence-based infection prevention practices in intensive care units of Brazilian hospitals. METHODS This qualitative study was based on content analysis of semistructured in-depth interviews held with health professionals who participated in a collaborative QI project named "Improving patient safety on a large scale in Brazil". In accordance with the principle of saturation, we selected a final sample of 12 hospitals located throughout the five regions of Brazil that have implemented QI; then, we conducted videoconference interviews with 28 health professionals from those hospitals. We encoded the interview data with NVivo software, and the interrelations among the data were assessed with the COM-B model. RESULTS The key barriers identified were belief that improvement increases workload, lack of knowledge about quality improvement, resistance to change, minimal involvement of physicians, lack of supplies, lack support from senior managers and work overload. The primary driver of motivation was tangible outcomes, as evidenced by a decrease in infections. Additionally, factors such as the active participation of senior managers, teamwork, learning in practice and understanding the reason for changes played significant roles in fostering motivation. CONCLUSION The motivation of health professionals to participate in collaborative QI projects is driven by a variety of barriers and facilitators. The interactions between the senior manager, quality improvement teams, and healthcare professionals generate attitudes that modulate motivation. Thus, these aspects should be considered during the implementation of such projects. Future research could explore the cost-effectiveness of motivational approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Pereira da Silva
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
- Graduate Program of Collective Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
| | | | - Marise Reis de Freitas
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Zenewton André da Silva Gama
- Graduate Program of Collective Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
- Department of Collective Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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Odhus CO, Kapanga RR, Oele E. Barriers to and enablers of quality improvement in primary health care in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 4:e0002756. [PMID: 38236832 PMCID: PMC10796071 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The quality of health care remains generally poor across primary health care settings, especially in low- and middle-income countries where tertiary care tends to take up much of the limited resources despite primary health care being the first (and often the only) point of contact with the health system for nearly 80 per cent of people in these countries. Evidence is needed on barriers and enablers of quality improvement initiatives. This systematic review sought to answer the question: What are the enablers of and barriers to quality improvement in primary health care in low- and middle-income countries? It adopted an integrative review approach with narrative evidence synthesis, which combined qualitative and mixed methods research studies systematically. Using a customized geographic search filter for LMICs developed by the Cochrane Collaboration, Scopus, Academic Search Ultimate, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYCHINFO, EMBASE, ProQuest Dissertations and Overton.io (a new database for LMIC literature) were searched in January and February 2023, as were selected websites and journals. 7,077 reports were retrieved. After removing duplicates, reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts, performed quality appraisal and data extraction, followed by analysis and synthesis. 50 reports from 47 studies were included, covering 52 LMIC settings. Six themes related to barriers and enablers of quality improvement were identified and organized using the model for understanding success in quality (MUSIQ) and the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR). These were: microsystem of quality improvement, intervention attributes, implementing organization and team, health systems support and capacity, external environment and structural factors, and execution. Decision makers, practitioners, funders, implementers, and other stakeholders can use the evidence from this systematic review to minimize barriers and amplify enablers to better the chances that quality improvement initiatives will be successful in resource-limited settings. PROSPERO registration: CRD42023395166.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camlus Otieno Odhus
- Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elizabeth Oele
- County Department of Health, County Government of Kisumu, Kisumu, Kenya
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Gagnon J, Breton M, Gaboury I. Decision-maker roles in healthcare quality improvement projects: a scoping review. BMJ Open Qual 2024; 13:e002522. [PMID: 38176953 PMCID: PMC10773379 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002522] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Evidence suggests that healthcare quality improvement (QI) projects are more successful when decision-makers are involved in the process. However, guidance regarding the engagement of decision-makers in QI projects is lacking. We conducted a scoping review to identify QI projects involving decision-makers published in the literature and to describe the roles decision-makers played. METHODS Following the Joanna Briggs Institute framework for scoping reviews, we systematically searched for all types of studies in English or French between 2002 and 2023 in: EMBASE, MEDLINE via PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Criteria for inclusion consisted of literature describing health sector QI projects that involved local, regional or system-level decision-makers. Descriptive analysis was performed. Drawing on QI and participatory research literature, the research team developed an inductive data extraction grid to provide a portrait of QI project characteristics, decision-makers' contributions, and advantages and challenges associated with their involvement. RESULTS After screening and review, we retained 29 references. 18 references described multi-site projects and 11 were conducted in single sites. Local decision-makers' contributions were documented in 27 of the 29 references and regional decision-makers' contributions were documented in 12. Local decision-makers were more often active participants in QI processes, contributing toward planning, implementation, change management and capacity building. Regional decision-makers more often served as initiators and supporters of QI projects, contributing toward strategic planning, recruitment, delegation, coordination of local teams, as well as assessment and capacity building. Advantages of decision-maker involvement described in the retained references include mutual learning, frontline staff buy-in, accountability, resource allocation, effective leadership and improved implementation feasibility. Considerations regarding their involvement included time constraints, variable supervisory expertise, issues concerning centralised leadership, relationship strengthening among stakeholders, and strategic alignment of frontline staff and managerial priorities CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review provides important insights into the various roles played by decision-makers, the benefits and challenges associated with their involvement, and identifies opportunities for strengthening their engagement. The results of this review highlight the need for practical collaboration and communication strategies that foster partnership between frontline staff and decision-makers at all levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Gagnon
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mylaine Breton
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Isabelle Gaboury
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
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Carstensen K, Kjeldsen AM, Nielsen CP. Distributed leadership in health quality improvement collaboratives. Health Care Manage Rev 2024; 49:46-58. [PMID: 38019463 DOI: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Distributed leadership has been suggested for describing patterns of influence in collaborative settings where public services are performed across professions and organizations. This study explores how leadership in health quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) is characterized by aligned distributed leadership practices, and how these practices relate with experienced progress and achievements in the quality improvement (QI) work. METHODS The analysis relied on a qualitative, multicase study of two nationwide Danish QICs. Data consisted of 12 single-person and 21 group interviews with local QI teams and local and regional QIC coordinators (85 informants in total), participant observations of 34 meetings within the QICs, and a collection of documentary material. The collected data were analyzed thematically with NVivo. RESULTS Leadership practices in local QI teams are characterized by aligned distributed leadership, with leadership activities being widely distributed based on negotiated, emergent practices regarding the aims, roles, and scope of the QI work. However, local quality coordinators play a pivotal role in driving the QI activities, and hierarchical support from hospital/municipal management is a precondition for the contribution of aligned distributed leadership to experienced progress and QIs. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Emergent distributed leadership should be balanced by thorough consolidation of the practices to provide the best circumstances for robust QI. The active participation of formal managers and local coordinators plays a pivotal role in this consolidation and is decisive for the increased potential for long-term success and sustainability of the QI work, particularly within complex QICs.
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Cleeve A, Annerstedt KS, Betrán AP, Mölsted Alvesson H, Kaboré Wendyam C, Carroli G, Lumbiganon P, Nhu Hung MQ, Zamboni K, Opiyo N, Bohren MA, El Halabi S, Gialdini C, Vila Ortiz M, Escuriet R, Robson M, Dumont A, Hanson C. Implementing the QUALI-DEC project in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Thailand and Viet Nam: a process delineation and theory-driven process evaluation protocol. Glob Health Action 2023; 16:2290636. [PMID: 38133667 PMCID: PMC10763892 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2023.2290636] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The project 'Quality Decision-making by women and providers' (QUALI-DEC) combines four non-clinical interventions to promote informed decision-making surrounding mode of birth, improve women's birth experiences, and reduce caesarean sections among low-risk women. QUALI-DEC is currently being implemented in 32 healthcare facilities across Argentina, Burkina Faso, Thailand, and Viet Nam. In this paper, we detail implementation processes and the planned process evaluation, which aims to assess how and for whom QUALI-DEC worked, the mechanisms of change and their interactions with context and setting; adaptations to intervention and implementation strategies, feasibility of scaling-up, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. We developed a project theory of change illustrating how QUALI-DEC might lead to impact. The theory of change, together with on the ground observations of implementation processes, guided the process evaluation strategy including what research questions and perspectives to prioritise. Main data sources will include: 1) regular monitoring visits in healthcare facilities, 2) quantitative process and output indicators, 3) a before and after cross-sectional survey among post-partum women, 4) qualitative interviews with all opinion leaders, and 5) qualitative interviews with postpartum women and health workers in two healthcare facilities per country, as part of a case study approach. We foresee that the QUALI-DEC process evaluation will generate valuable information that will improve interpretation of the effectiveness evaluation. At the policy level, we anticipate that important lessons and methodological insights will be drawn, with application to other settings and stakeholders looking to implement complex interventions aiming to improve maternal and newborn health and wellbeing.Trial registration: ISRCTN67214403.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Cleeve
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, and Karolinska University Healthcare facility, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Ana Pilar Betrán
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/World Bank Special Program of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Pisake Lumbiganon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | | | - Karen Zamboni
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- The Global Fund, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Newton Opiyo
- UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/World Bank Special Program of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Meghan A. Bohren
- Gender and Women’s Health Unit, Centre for Health Equity, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Soha El Halabi
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Celina Gialdini
- Centro Rosarino de Estudios Perinatales, Rosario, Argentina
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Fundacio Blanquerna, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercedes Vila Ortiz
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centro Rosarino de Estudios Perinatales, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Ramón Escuriet
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Fundacio Blanquerna, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Health, Government of Catalonia, Spain
| | - Michael Robson
- The National Maternity Hospital and University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alexandre Dumont
- Université Paris Cité, Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Claudia Hanson
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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McGowan JG, Martin GP, Krapohl GL, Campbell DA, Englesbe MJ, Dimick JB, Dixon-Woods M. What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e076648. [PMID: 38097243 PMCID: PMC10729078 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite their widespread use, the evidence base for the effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives remains mixed. Lack of clarity about 'what good looks like' in collaboratives remains a persistent problem. We aimed to identify the distinctive features of a state-wide collaboratives programme that has demonstrated sustained improvements in quality of care in a range of clinical specialties over a long period. DESIGN Qualitative case study involving interviews with purposively sampled participants, observations and analysis of documents. SETTING The Michigan Collaborative Quality Initiatives programme. PARTICIPANTS 38 participants, including clinicians and managers from 10 collaboratives, and staff from the University of Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. RESULTS We identified five features that characterised success in the collaboratives programme: learning from positive deviance; high-quality coordination; high-quality measurement and comparative performance feedback; careful use of motivational levers; and mobilising professional leadership and building community. Rigorous measurement, securing professional leadership and engagement, cultivating a collaborative culture, creating accountability for quality, and relieving participating sites of unnecessary burdens associated with programme participation were all important to high performance. CONCLUSIONS Our findings offer valuable learning for optimising collaboration-based approaches to improvement in healthcare, with implications for the design, structure and resourcing of quality improvement collaboratives. These findings are likely to be useful to clinicians, managers, policy-makers and health system leaders engaged in multiorganisational approaches to improving quality and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G McGowan
- The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Graham P Martin
- The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Greta L Krapohl
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Justin B Dimick
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mary Dixon-Woods
- The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Holdsworth LM, Stedman M, Gustafsson ES, Han J, Asch SM, Harbert G, Lorenz KA, Lupu DE, Malcolm E, Moss AH, Nicklas A, Kurella Tamura M. "Diving in the deep-end and swimming": a mixed methods study using normalization process theory to evaluate a learning collaborative approach for the implementation of palliative care practices in hemodialysis centers. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1384. [PMID: 38082293 PMCID: PMC10712060 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10360-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normalization Process Theory (NPT) is an implementation theory that can be used to explain how and why implementation strategies work or not in particular circumstances. We used it to understand the mechanisms that lead to the adoption and routinization of palliative care within hemodialysis centers. METHODS We employed a longitudinal, mixed methods approach to comprehensively evaluate the implementation of palliative care practices among ten hemodialysis centers participating in an Institute for Healthcare Improvement Breakthrough- Series learning collaborative. Qualitative methods included longitudinal observations of collaborative activities, and interviews with implementers at the end of the study. We used an inductive and deductive approach to thematic analysis informed by NPT constructs (coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, reflexive monitoring) and implementation outcomes. The NoMAD survey, which measures NPT constructs, was completed by implementers at each hemodialysis center during early and late implementation. RESULTS The four mechanisms posited in NPT had a dynamic and layered relationship during the implementation process. Collaborative participants participated because they believed in the value and legitimacy of palliative care for patients receiving hemodialysis and thus had high levels of cognitive participation at the start. Didactic Learning Sessions were important for building practice coherence, and sense-making was solidified through testing new skills in practice and first-hand observation during coaching visits by an expert. Collective action was hampered by limited time among team members and practical issues such as arranging meetings with patients. Reflexive monitoring of the positive benefit to patient and family experiences was key in shifting mindsets from disease-centric towards a patient-centered model of care. NoMAD survey scores showed modest improvement over time, with collective action having the lowest scores. CONCLUSIONS NPT was a useful framework for understanding the implementation of palliative care practices within hemodialysis centers. We found a nonlinear relationship among the mechanisms which is reflected in our model of implementation of palliative care practices through a learning collaborative. These findings suggest that the implementation of complex practices such as palliative care may be more successful through iterative learning and practice opportunities as the mechanisms for change are layered and mutually reinforcing. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04125537 . Registered 14 October 2019 - Retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Holdsworth
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3180 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
| | - Margaret Stedman
- Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Erika Saliba Gustafsson
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3180 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Jialin Han
- Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Steven M Asch
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3180 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, Palo Alto VA Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Glenda Harbert
- School of Nursing, George Washington University, Washington, D.C, USA
| | - Karl A Lorenz
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3180 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, Palo Alto VA Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Dale E Lupu
- School of Nursing, George Washington University, Washington, D.C, USA
| | - Elizabeth Malcolm
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alvin H Moss
- Center for Health Ethics and Law, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Amanda Nicklas
- School of Nursing, George Washington University, Washington, D.C, USA
| | - Manjula Kurella Tamura
- Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Geriatric Research and Education Clinical Center, Palo Alto VA Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Odendaal W, Chetty T, Tomlinson M, Goga A, Singh Y, Kauchali S, Marshall C, Hunt X. "If you work alone on this project, you can't reach your target": unpacking the leader's role in well-performing teams in a maternal and neonatal quality improvement programme in South Africa, before and during COVID-19. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1382. [PMID: 38066525 PMCID: PMC10709890 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10378-x] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The South African National Department of Health developed a quality improvement (QI) programme to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and still births. The programme was implemented between 2018 and 2022 in 21 purposively selected public health facilities. We conducted a process evaluation to describe the characteristics and skills of the QI team leaders of well-performing teams. The evaluation was conducted in 15 of the 21 facilities. Facilities were purposively selected and comprised semi-structured interviews with leaders at three time points; reviewing of QI documentation; and 37 intermittently conducted semi-structured interviews with the QI advisors, being QI technical experts who supported the teams. These interviews focused on participants' experiences and perceptions of how the teams performed, and performance barriers and enablers. Thematic data analysis was conducted using Atlas.ti. Variation in team performance was associated with leaders' attributes and skills. However, the COVID-19 pandemic also affected team functioning. Well-performing teams had leaders who effectively navigated COVID-19 and other challenges, who embraced QI and had sound QI skills. These leaders cultivated trust by taking responsibility for failures, correcting members' mistakes in encouraging ways, and setting high standards of care. Moreover, they promoted programme ownership among members by delegating tasks. Given the critical role leaders play in team performance and thus in the outcomes of QI programmes, efforts should focus on leader selection, training, and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem Odendaal
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
| | - Terusha Chetty
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- Discipline of Public Health Medicine, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Mark Tomlinson
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University, Franzi Van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University, Belfast, UK
| | - Ameena Goga
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Pretoria, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Yages Singh
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie Van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Shuaib Kauchali
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Carol Marshall
- South African National Department of Health, Voortrekker Road, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Xanthe Hunt
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University, Franzi Van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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20
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Bensemann C, Maxwell D, O'Keeffe K, Tresize L, Wairama K, Keelan W. Closing the equity gap as we move to the elimination of seclusion: Early results from a national quality improvement project. Australas Psychiatry 2023; 31:786-790. [PMID: 37772406 DOI: 10.1177/10398562231202125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Use of seclusion within mental health inpatient facilities is harmful for consumers and staff, but it is still used in many Aotearoa New Zealand and Australian facilities, at higher, inequitable rates for the indigenous populations of both countries. We report early results from a national programme to eliminate seclusion in mental health services in Aotearoa New Zealand, using a bicultural approach to reduce inequity for Māori. METHOD The 'Zero Seclusion: Safety and dignity for all' programme, with programme teams nationwide, developed a co-designed bicultural change package combining Māori cultural and Western clinical interventions, incorporating quality improvement methodologies. Outcome measures included seclusion rates, duration, and average number of episodes per person admitted, by ethnicity, with a focus on equity. RESULTS Nationally, rates of seclusion for Māori reduced from the 12-month (to August 2019) baseline mean monthly rate of 7.5% to 6.8%, sustained from late 2020 to September 2022. The duration of seclusion for Māori reduced by 33% (4.5 h at baseline to 3.0). CONCLUSION A focus on inequity for Māori in use of seclusion, and a bicultural approach with cultural and clinical interventions, has been associated with a national reduction in rates and duration of seclusion for Māori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clive Bensemann
- Mental Health and Addiction Quality Improvement Programme, New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Deirdre Maxwell
- Mental Health and Addiction Quality Improvement Programme, New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Karen O'Keeffe
- Mental Health and Addiction Quality Improvement Programme, New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Lee Tresize
- Health Quality Intelligence, New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Karl Wairama
- Mental Health and Addiction Quality Improvement Programme, New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Wikepa Keelan
- Mental Health and Addiction Quality Improvement Programme, New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission, Wellington, New Zealand
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21
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Street A, Maynou L, Conroy S. Did the Acute Frailty Network improve outcomes for older people living with frailty? A staggered difference-in-difference panel event study. BMJ Qual Saf 2023; 32:721-731. [PMID: 37414555 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2022-015832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether the Acute Frailty Network (AFN) was more effective than usual practice in supporting older people living with frailty to return home from hospital sooner and healthier. DESIGN Staggered difference-in-difference panel event study allowing for differential effects across intervention cohorts. SETTING All English National Health Service (NHS) acute hospital sites. PARTICIPANTS All 1 410 427 NHS patients aged 75+ with high frailty risk who had an emergency hospital admission to acute, general or geriatric medicine departments between 1 January 2012 and 31 March 2019. INTERVENTION Membership of the AFN, a quality improvement collaborative designed to support acute hospitals in England deliver evidence-based care for older people with frailty. 66 hospital sites joined the AFN in six sequential cohorts, the first starting in January 2015, the sixth in May 2018. Usual care was delivered in the remaining 248 control sites. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, institutionalisation, hospital readmission. RESULTS No significant effects of AFN membership were found for any of the four outcomes nor were there significant effects for any individual cohort. CONCLUSIONS To realise its aims, the AFN might need to develop better resourced intervention and implementation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Street
- Department of Health Policy, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Laia Maynou
- Department of Health Policy, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
- Deparment of Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Economics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Research in Health and Economics (CRES), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simon Conroy
- MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, University College London, London, UK
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22
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Rashan A, Beane A, Ghose A, Dondorp AM, Kwizera A, Vijayaraghavan BKT, Biccard B, Righy C, Thwaites CL, Pell C, Sendagire C, Thomson D, Done DG, Aryal D, Wagstaff D, Nadia F, Putoto G, Panaru H, Udayanga I, Amuasi J, Salluh J, Gokhale K, Nirantharakumar K, Pisani L, Hashmi M, Schultz M, Ghalib MS, Mukaka M, Mat-Nor MB, Siaw-frimpong M, Surenthirakumaran R, Haniffa R, Kaddu RP, Pereira SP, Murthy S, Harris S, Moonesinghe SR, Vengadasalam S, Tripathy S, Gooden TE, Tolppa T, Pari V, Waweru-Siika W, Minh YL. Mixed methods study protocol for combining stakeholder-led rapid evaluation with near real-time continuous registry data to facilitate evaluations of quality of care in intensive care units. Wellcome Open Res 2023; 8:29. [PMID: 37954925 PMCID: PMC10638482 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18710.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Improved access to healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has not equated to improved health outcomes. Absence or unsustained quality of care is partly to blame. Improving outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) requires delivery of complex interventions by multiple specialties working in concert, and the simultaneous prevention of avoidable harms associated with the illness and the treatment interventions. Therefore, successful design and implementation of improvement interventions requires understanding of the behavioural, organisational, and external factors that determine care delivery and the likelihood of achieving sustained improvement. We aim to identify care processes that contribute to suboptimal clinical outcomes in ICUs located in LMICs and to establish barriers and enablers for improving the care processes. Methods Using rapid evaluation methods, we will use four data collection methods: 1) registry embedded indicators to assess quality of care processes and their associated outcomes; 2) process mapping to provide a preliminary framework to understand gaps between current and desired care practices; 3) structured observations of processes of interest identified from the process mapping and; 4) focus group discussions with stakeholders to identify barriers and enablers influencing the gap between current and desired care practices. We will also collect self-assessments of readiness for quality improvement. Data collection and analysis will be led by local stakeholders, performed in parallel and through an iterative process across eight countries: Kenya, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam. Conclusions The results of our study will provide essential information on where and how care processes can be improved to facilitate better quality of care to critically ill patients in LMICs; thus, reduce preventable mortality and morbidity in ICUs. Furthermore, understanding the rapid evaluation methods that will be used for this study will allow other researchers and healthcare professionals to carry out similar research in ICUs and other health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- The Collaboration for Research, Implementation and Training in Critical Care in Asia and Africa (CCAA)
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medicine, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chattogram, Bangladesh
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation, Chennai, India
- Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, University of Oxford, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Uganda Heart Institute, University of Makerere, Makerere, Uganda
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Critical Care, Nepal Intensive Care Research Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Centre for Preoperative Medicine, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Intensive Care Anaesthesiology, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Planning and Operational Research, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Padova, Italy
- Department of Global Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
- Intensive Care Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- General Surgery, Wazir Akbar Khan Hospital, Kabul, Afghanistan
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
- Department of Anaesthesia, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Targeted Intervention, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Critical Care, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Teaching Hospital Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka
- AII India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
- Chennai Critical Care Consultants Private Limited, Chennai, India
| | - Aasiyah Rashan
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | - Abi Beane
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aniruddha Ghose
- Department of Medicine, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Arthur Kwizera
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Bruce Biccard
- Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Cassia Righy
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - C. Louise Thwaites
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, University of Oxford, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Christopher Pell
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelius Sendagire
- Uganda Heart Institute, University of Makerere, Makerere, Uganda
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - David Thomson
- Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dilanthi Gamage Done
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Diptesh Aryal
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Critical Care, Nepal Intensive Care Research Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Duncan Wagstaff
- Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Preoperative Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Farah Nadia
- Department of Intensive Care Anaesthesiology, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Giovanni Putoto
- Department of Planning and Operational Research, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, Padova, Italy
| | - Hem Panaru
- Department of Critical Care, Nepal Intensive Care Research Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Ishara Udayanga
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - John Amuasi
- Department of Global Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jorge Salluh
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Krishna Gokhale
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Luigi Pisani
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Madiha Hashmi
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Marcus Schultz
- Intensive Care Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mavuto Mukaka
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mohammed Basri Mat-Nor
- Department of Intensive Care Anaesthesiology, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Moses Siaw-frimpong
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Rashan Haniffa
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Ronnie P Kaddu
- Department of Anaesthesia, The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Srinivas Murthy
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Steve Harris
- Department of Critical Care, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | | | - Swagata Tripathy
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- AII India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Tiffany E Gooden
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Timo Tolppa
- Nat-Intensive Care Surveillance, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Vrindha Pari
- Chennai Critical Care Consultants Private Limited, Chennai, India
| | | | - Yen Lam Minh
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, University of Oxford, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Siösteen-Holmblad I, Larsson EC, Kilander H. What factors influence a Quality Improvement Collaborative in improving contraceptive services for foreign-born women? A qualitative study in Sweden. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1089. [PMID: 37821891 PMCID: PMC10568973 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10060-2] [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: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improved contraceptive services could reduce the unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancies globally. This is especially true among foreign-born women in high-income countries, as the health outcomes related to unmet need of contraception disproportionally affect this group. A widely used quality improvement approach to improve health care services is Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC). However, evidence on to what extent, how and why it is effective and what factors influence a QIC in different healthcare contexts is limited. The purpose of this study was to analyse what factors have influenced a successful QIC intervention that is aimed to improve contraceptive service in postpartum care, mainly targeting foreign-born women in Sweden. METHODS A qualitative, deductive design was used, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The study triangulated secondary data from four learning seminars as part of the QIC, with primary interview data with four QIC-facilitators. The QIC involved midwives at three maternal health clinics in Stockholm County, Sweden, 2018-2019. RESULTS Factors from all five CFIR domains were identified, however, the majority of factors that influenced the QIC were found inside the QIC-setting, in three domains: intervention characteristics, inner setting and process. Outside factors and those related to individuals were less influential. A favourable learning climate, emphasizing co-creation and mutual learning, facilitated reflections among the participating midwives. The application of the QIC was facilitated by adaptability, trialability, and a motivated and skilled project team. Our study further suggests that the QIC was complex because it required a high level of engagement from the midwives and facilitators. Additionally, it was challenging due to unclear roles and objectives in the initial phases. CONCLUSIONS The application of the CFIR framework identified crucial factors influencing the success of a QIC in contraceptive services in a high-income setting. These factors highlight the importance of establishing a learning climate characterised by co-creation and mutual learning among the participating midwives as well as the facilitators. Furthermore, to invest in planning and formation of the project group during the QIC initiation; and to ensure adaptability and trialability of the improvement activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elin C Larsson
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helena Kilander
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
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24
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Murthy R, Kallesh A, Somasekhara Aradhya A, Bharadwaj SK, Venkatagiri P, Jagadish M, Rao P, Chandramouli D, Hema D, Chaithra SN, Glory H, Purkayastha J. Sustaining extended Kangaroo mother care in stable low birthweight babies in NICU: a quality improvement collaborative of six centres of Karnataka. BMJ Open Qual 2023; 12:e002307. [PMID: 37863504 PMCID: PMC10603408 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a proven intervention for intact survival in preterms. Despite evidence, its adoption has been low. We used a point of care quality improvement (QI) approach to implement and sustain KMC in stable low birthweight babies from a baseline of 1.5 hours/baby/day to above 4 hours/baby/day through a series of plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles over a period of 53 weeks. METHODS All babies with birth weight <2000 g not on any respiratory support or phototherapy and or umbilical lines were eligible. The key quantitative outcome was KMC hours/baby/day. A QI collaborative was formed between six centres of Karnataka mentored by a team with a previous QI experience on KMC. The potential barriers for extended KMC were evaluated using fishbone analysis. Baseline data were collected over 3 weeks. A bundled approach consisting of a variety of parent centric measures (such as staff awareness, making KMC an integral part of treatment order, foster KMC, awareness sessions to parents weekly, recognising KMC champions) was employed in multiple PDSA cycles. The data were aggregated biweekly and the teams shared their implementation experiences monthly. RESULTS A total of 1443 parent-baby dyads were enrolled. The majority barriers were similar across the centres. Bundled approach incorporating foster KMC helped in the quick implementation of KMC even in outborns. Parental involvement and empowering nurses helped in sustaining KMC. Two centres had KMC rates above 10 hours/baby/day, while remaining four centres had KMC rates sustained above 6 hours/baby/day. Cross-learnings from team meetings helped to sustain efforts. Extended KMC could be implemented and sustained by low intensity training and QI collaboration. CONCLUSIONS Formation of a QI collaborative with mentoring helped in scaling implementation of extended KMC. Extended KMC could be implemented by parent centric best practices in all the centres without any additional need of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anil Kallesh
- Pediatrics, Sarji Hospital, Shimoga, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Divya Chandramouli
- Pediatrics, Ovum Woman & Child Speciality Hospital Banaswadi, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | | | - S N Chaithra
- Pediatrics, Sarji Hospital, Shimoga, Karnataka, India
| | - Hellan Glory
- Pediatrics, Ovum Woman & Child Speciality Hospital Banaswadi, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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25
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Kalaris K, English M, Wong G. Developing an understanding of networks with a focus on LMIC health systems: How and why clinical and programmatic networks form and function to be able to change practices: A realist review. SSM - HEALTH SYSTEMS 2023; 1:100001. [PMID: 38144421 PMCID: PMC10740353 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmhs.2023.100001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Networks are an increasingly employed approach to improve quality of care, service delivery, and health systems performance, particularly in low-and-middle income country (LMIC) health systems. The literature shows that networks can improve the provision and quality of services and health system functioning but there is limited evidence explaining how and why networks are established and work to achieve their reported results. We undertook a realist review to explore this. The objective of this realist review was to develop a programme theory outlining the underlying mechanisms and interactions of contexts that explain how and why a network's set-up and function enable high-quality care and services and improved clinical outcomes in LMIC health systems. We followed Pawson's five steps for realist reviews. The search strategy was based on a previously published scoping review with additional searches. Literature was selected based on its relevance to the programme theory and rigour. Context-mechanism-outcome configurations were developed from the extracted data to refine the initial programme theory with causal explanations. Theories on social movements and organisations supported the identification of mechanism and brought additional explanatory power to the programme theory. The programme theory explains how networks are initiated, formed, and function in a way that sets them up for network leadership and committed, engaged, and motivated network members to emerge and to change practices, which may lead to improved quality of care, service delivery, and clinical outcomes through the following phases: identify a problem, developing a collective vision, taking action to solve the problem, forming purposeful relationships, linkages, and partnerships, building a network identity and culture, and the creation of a psychological safe space. This deeper understanding of networks formation and functioning can lead to a more considered planning and implementation of networks, thereby improving health system functioning and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Kalaris
- Health Systems Collaborative, Kellogg College, University of Oxford, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, 3 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
| | - Mike English
- Health Systems Collaborative, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, 3 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff Wong
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom
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26
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Hogervorst S, Vervloet M, Janssen R, Koster E, Adriaanse MC, Bekker CL, van den Bemt BJF, Bouvy M, Heerdink ER, Hugtenburg JG, van Woerkom M, Zwikker H, van de Steeg-van Gompel C, van Dijk L. Implementing medication adherence interventions in four Dutch living labs; context matters. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1030. [PMID: 37752529 PMCID: PMC10523767 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10018-4] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the abundant availability of effective medication adherence interventions, uptake of these interventions into routine care often lacks. Examples of effective medication adherence interventions include telephone counseling, consult preparation and the teach-back method. Assessing context is an important step in understanding implementation success of interventions, but context is often not reported or only moderately described. This study aims to describe context-specific characteristics in four living labs prior to the implementation of evidence-based interventions aiming to improve medication adherence. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted within four living labs using individual interviews (n = 12) and focus groups (n = 4) with project leaders and involved healthcare providers. The four living labs are multidisciplinary collaboratives that are early adopters of medication adherence interventions in the Dutch primary care system. Context is defined as the environment or setting in which the proposed change is to be implemented. Interview topics to assess context were formulated based on the 'inner setting' and 'outer setting' domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were deductively analyzed. RESULTS A total of 39 community pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, general practitioners and a home care employee participated in the (focus group) interviews. All four living labs proved to be pharmacy-driven and characterized by a high regard for innovation by staff members, a positive implementation climate, high levels of leadership engagement and high compatibility between the living labs and the interventions. Two living labs were larger in size and characterized by more formal communication. Two living labs were characterized by higher levels of cosmopolitanism which resulted in more adaptable interventions. Worries about external policy, most notably lack of reimbursement for sustainment and upscaling of the interventions, were shared among all living labs. CONCLUSIONS Contextual characteristics of four living labs that are early adopters of medication adherence interventions provide detailed examples of a positive implementation setting. These can be used to inform dissemination of medication adherence interventions in settings less experienced in implementing medication adherence interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn Hogervorst
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUMC, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marcia Vervloet
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Ruby Janssen
- Hogeschool Utrecht, Lectorate Innovations in Healthcare Processes in Pharmacology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen Koster
- Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Divison of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel C Adriaanse
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUMC, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte L Bekker
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Bart J F van den Bemt
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Pharmacy, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel Bouvy
- Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Divison of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eibert R Heerdink
- Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Divison of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline G Hugtenburg
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUMC, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUMC, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Menno van Woerkom
- Dutch Institute for Rational Use of Medicine (IVM), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hanneke Zwikker
- Dutch Institute for Rational Use of Medicine (IVM), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Liset van Dijk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Nivel, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of PharmacoTherapy, Epidemiology and Economics (PTEE), Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Sykes M, Copsey B, Finch T, Meads D, Farrin A, McSharry J, Holman N, Young B, Berry A, Ellis K, Moreau L, Willis T, Alderson S, Girling M, O'Halloran E, Foy R. A cluster randomised controlled trial, process and economic evaluation of quality improvement collaboratives aligned to a national audit to improve the care for people with diabetes (EQUIPD): study protocol. Implement Sci 2023; 18:37. [PMID: 37653413 PMCID: PMC10470130 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-023-01293-0] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with type 1 diabetes and raised glucose levels are at greater risk of retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems and foot disease. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends continuous subcutaneous 'insulin pump' therapy for people with type 1 diabetes whose HbA1c is above 69 mmol/mol. Insulin pump use can improve quality of life, cut cardiovascular risk and increase treatment satisfaction. About 90,000 people in England and Wales meet NICE criteria for insulin pumps but do not use one. Insulin pump use also varies markedly by deprivation, ethnicity, sex and location. Increasing insulin pump use is a key improvement priority. Audit and feedback is a common but variably effective intervention. Limited capabilities of healthcare providers to mount effective responses to feedback from national audits, such as the National Diabetes Audit (NDA), undermines efforts to improve care. We have co-developed a theoretically and empirically informed quality improvement collaborative (QIC) to strengthen local responses to feedback with patients and carers, national audits and healthcare providers. We will evaluate whether the QIC improves the uptake of insulin pumps following NDA feedback. METHODS We will undertake an efficient cluster randomised trial using routine data. The QIC will be delivered alongside the NDA to specialist diabetes teams in England and Wales. Our primary outcome will be the proportion of people with type 1 diabetes and an HbA1c above 69 mmol/mol who start and continue insulin pump use during the 18-month intervention period. Secondary outcomes will assess change in glucose control and duration of pump use. Subgroup analyses will explore impacts upon inequalities by ethnicity, sex, age and deprivation. A theory-informed process evaluation will explore diabetes specialist teams' engagement, implementation, fidelity and tailoring through observations, interviews, surveys and documentary analysis. An economic evaluation will micro-cost the QIC, estimate cost-effectiveness of NDA feedback with QIC and estimate the budget impact of NHS-wide QIC roll out. DISCUSSION Our study responds to a need for more head-to-head trials of different ways of reinforcing feedback delivery. Our findings will have implications for other large-scale audit and feedback programmes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN82176651 Registered 18 October 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tracy Finch
- Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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Odendaal W, Chetty T, Goga A, Tomlinson M, Singh Y, Marshall C, Kauchali S, Pillay Y, Makua M, Hunt X. From purists to pragmatists: a qualitative evaluation of how implementation processes and contexts shaped the uptake and methodological adaptations of a maternal and neonatal quality improvement programme in South Africa prior to, and during COVID-19. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:819. [PMID: 37525226 PMCID: PMC10391767 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09826-5] [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: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite progress, maternal and neonatal mortality and still births remain high in South Africa. The South African National Department of Health implemented a quality improvement (QI) programme, called Mphatlalatsane, to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and still births. It was implemented in 21 public health facilities, seven per participating province, between 2018 and 2022. METHODS We conducted a qualitative process evaluation of the contextual and implementation process factors' influence on implementation uptake amongst the QI teams in 15 purposively selected facilities. Data collection included three interview rounds with the leaders and members of the QI teams in each facility; intermittent interviews with the QI advisors; programme documentation review; observation of programme management meetings; and keeping a fieldwork journal. All data were thematically analysed in Atlas.ti. Implementation uptake varied across the three provinces and between facilities within provinces. RESULTS Between March and August 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted uptake in all provinces but affected QI teams in one province more severely than others, because they received limited pre-pandemic training. Better uptake among other sites was attributed to receiving more QI training pre-COVID-19, having an experienced QI advisor, and good teamwork. Uptake was more challenging amongst hospital teams which had more staff and more complicated MNH services, versus the primary healthcare facilities. We also attributed better uptake to greater district management support. A key factor shaping uptake was leaders' intrinsic motivation to apply QI methodology. We found that, across sites, organic adaptations to the QI methodology were made by teams, started during COVID-19. Teams did away with rapid testing of change ideas and keeping a paper trail of the steps followed. Though still using data to identify service problems, they used self-developed audit tools to record intervention effectiveness, and not the prescribed tools. CONCLUSIONS Our study underscores the critical role of intrinsic motivation of team leaders, support from experienced technical QI advisors, and context-sensitive adaptations to maximise QI uptake when traditionally recognised QI steps cannot be followed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem Odendaal
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa / 491 Peter Mokaba Ridge Road, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Franzi van Zijl drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
| | - Terusha Chetty
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa / 491 Peter Mokaba Ridge Road, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Discipline of Public Health Medicine, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Umbilo Road, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Ameena Goga
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa / 491 Peter Mokaba Ridge Road, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Pretoria, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Mark Tomlinson
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University, Franzi van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University, Belfast, UK
| | - Yages Singh
- HIV and Other Infectious Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parow Valley, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa / 491 Peter Mokaba Ridge Road, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Carol Marshall
- South African National Department of Health, Voortrekker Road, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Shuaib Kauchali
- Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health Institute (MatCH), Avondale Street, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Yogan Pillay
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Francis Baard Street, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
- Division of Public Health and Health Systems, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Franzi van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Manala Makua
- South African National Department of Health, Voortrekker Road, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
- University of South Africa, Preller Street, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Xanthe Hunt
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University, Franzi van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
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Harvey G, Rycroft-Malone J, Seers K, Wilson P, Cassidy C, Embrett M, Hu J, Pearson M, Semenic S, Zhao J, Graham ID. Connecting the science and practice of implementation - applying the lens of context to inform study design in implementation research. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2023; 3:1162762. [PMID: 37484830 PMCID: PMC10361069 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2023.1162762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The saying "horses for courses" refers to the idea that different people and things possess different skills or qualities that are appropriate in different situations. In this paper, we apply the analogy of "horses for courses" to stimulate a debate about how and why we need to get better at selecting appropriate implementation research methods that take account of the context in which implementation occurs. To ensure that implementation research achieves its intended purpose of enhancing the uptake of research-informed evidence in policy and practice, we start from a position that implementation research should be explicitly connected to implementation practice. Building on our collective experience as implementation researchers, implementation practitioners (users of implementation research), implementation facilitators and implementation educators and subsequent deliberations with an international, inter-disciplinary group involved in practising and studying implementation, we present a discussion paper with practical suggestions that aim to inform more practice-relevant implementation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian Harvey
- Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jo Rycroft-Malone
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Seers
- Warwick Medical School, Faculty of Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Wilson
- Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Cassidy
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mark Embrett
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jiale Hu
- College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Mark Pearson
- Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School, Hull, United Kingdom
| | - Sonia Semenic
- Ingram School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Junqiang Zhao
- Centre for Research on Health and Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ian D. Graham
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Hilton CE. Behaviour change, the itchy spot of healthcare quality improvement: How can psychology theory and skills help to scratch the itch? Health Psychol Open 2023; 10:20551029231198938. [PMID: 37746584 PMCID: PMC10517624 DOI: 10.1177/20551029231198938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the clear utility and transferability, National Health Service (NHS) quality improvement initiatives have yet to benefit fully from what is already known within health psychology. Thus far, evidence from established, seminal behaviour change theory and practice have been ignored in favour of newly developed models and frameworks. Further, whilst there is a growing interest in what is commonly referred to as 'human factors' of change and improvement, there is scant transferability of known psychologically informed implementation skills into routine NHS Improvement practice. The science and practice of healthcare improvement is growing, and the behaviour change aspect is critical to sustainable outcomes. Therefore, this paper offers practical guidance on how seminal psychological behaviour change theory and motivational interviewing (a person-centred skills-based approach specifically developed to support people through change) can be combined to better address individual and organisational change within a healthcare improvement context.
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Hill Z, Keraga D, Kiflie Alemayehu A, Schellenberg J, Magge H, Estifanos A. 'The objective was about not blaming one another': a qualitative study to explore how collaboration is experienced within quality improvement collaboratives in Ethiopia. Health Res Policy Syst 2023; 21:48. [PMID: 37312225 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-00986-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality improvement collaboratives are a common approach to improving quality of care. They rely on collaboration across and within health facilities to enable and accelerate quality improvement. Originating in high-income settings, little is known about how collaboration transfers to low-income settings, despite the widespread use of these collaboratives. METHOD We explored collaboration within quality improvement collaboratives in Ethiopia through 42 in-depth interviews with staff of two hospitals and four health centers and three with quality improvement mentors. Data were analysed thematically using a deductive and inductive approach. RESULTS There was collaboration at learning sessions though experience sharing, co-learning and peer pressure. Respondents were used to a blaming environment, which they contrasted to the open and non-blaming environment at the learning sessions. Respondents formed new relationships that led to across facility practical support. Within facilities, those in the quality improvement team continued to collaborate through the plan-do-study-act cycles, although this required high engagement and support from mentors. Few staff were able to attend learning sessions and within facility transfer of quality improvement knowledge was rare. This affected broader participation and led to some resentment and resistance. Improved teamwork skills and behaviors occurred at individual rather than facility or systems level, with implications for sustainability. Challenges to collaboration included unequal participation, lack of knowledge transfer, high workloads, staff turnover and a culture of dependency. CONCLUSION We conclude that collaboration can occur and is valued within a traditionally hierarchical system, but may require explicit support at learning sessions and by mentors. More emphasis is needed on ensuring quality improvement knowledge transfer, buy-in and system level change. This could include a modified collaborative design to provide facility-level support for spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelee Hill
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Guilford St, WC1N 1EH, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Dorka Keraga
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Joanna Schellenberg
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Hema Magge
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America
| | - Abiy Estifanos
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Kc A, Waiswa P, Kinney MV. Research on high quality health care needs to move beyond what to how. Lancet Glob Health 2023; 11:e803-e804. [PMID: 37202008 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00209-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Kc
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Peter Waiswa
- School of Public Health and Global Health Division, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Mary V Kinney
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
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Vonheim Madsen T, Cooper JG, Carlsen S, Loevaas K, Rekdal M, Igland J, Sandberg S, Ueland GÅ, Iversen MM, Sølvik U. Intensified follow-up of patients with type 1 diabetes and poor glycaemic control: a multicentre quality improvement collaborative based on data from the Norwegian Diabetes Register for Adults. BMJ Open Qual 2023; 12:bmjoq-2022-002099. [PMID: 37308253 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002099] [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: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and poor glycaemic control are at high risk of developing microvascular and macrovascular complications. The aim of this study was to determine if a quality improvement collaborative (QIC) initiated by the Norwegian Diabetes Register for adults (NDR-A) could reduce the proportion of patients with T1DM with poor glycaemic control (defined as glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)≥75 mmol/mol) and reduce mean HbA1c at participating clinics compared with 14 control clinics. METHOD Multicentre study with controlled before and after design. Representatives of 13 diabetes outpatient clinics (n=5145 patients with T1DM) in the intervention group attended four project meetings during an 18-month QIC. They were required to identify areas requiring improvement at their clinic and make action plans. Continuous feedback on HbA1c outcomes was provided by NDR-A during the project. In total 4084 patients with type 1 diabetes attended the control clinics. RESULTS Between 2016 and 2019, the overall proportion of patients with T1DM and HbA1c≥75 mmol/mol in the intervention group were reduced from 19.3% to 14.1% (p<0.001). Corresponding proportions in the control group were reduced from 17.3% (2016) to 14.4% (2019) (p<0.001). Between 2016 and 2019, overall mean HbA1c decreased by 2.8 mmol/mol (p<0.001) at intervention clinics compared with 2.3 mmol/mol (p<0.001) at control clinics. After adjusting for the baseline differences in glycaemic control, there were no significant differences in the overall improvement in glycaemic control between intervention and control clinics. CONCLUSIONS The registry linked QIC did not result in a significantly greater improvement in glycaemic control at intervention clinics compared with control clinics. However, there has been a sustained improvement in glycaemic control and importantly a significant reduction in the proportion of patients with poor glycaemic control at both intervention and control clinics during and after the QIC time frame. It is possible that some of this improvement may be due to a spillover effect from the QIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tone Vonheim Madsen
- The Norwegian Organization for Quality Improvement of Laboratory Examinations (Noklus), Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bergen, Norway
| | - John Graham Cooper
- The Norwegian Organization for Quality Improvement of Laboratory Examinations (Noklus), Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Siri Carlsen
- Department of Medicine, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Karianne Loevaas
- The Norwegian Organization for Quality Improvement of Laboratory Examinations (Noklus), Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Jannicke Igland
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sverre Sandberg
- The Norwegian Organization for Quality Improvement of Laboratory Examinations (Noklus), Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, Bergen, Norway, Norway
| | - Grethe Åstrøm Ueland
- The Norwegian Organization for Quality Improvement of Laboratory Examinations (Noklus), Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Una Sølvik
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Millar R, Aunger JA, Rafferty AM, Greenhalgh J, Mannion R, McLeod H, Faulks D. Towards achieving interorganisational collaboration between health-care providers: a realist evidence synthesis. HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE DELIVERY RESEARCH 2023; 11:1-130. [PMID: 37469292 DOI: 10.3310/kplt1423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Background Interorganisational collaboration is currently being promoted to improve the performance of NHS providers. However, up to now, there has, to the best of our knowledge, been no systematic attempt to assess the effect of different approaches to collaboration or to understand the mechanisms through which interorganisational collaborations can work in particular contexts. Objectives Our objectives were to (1) explore the main strands of the literature about interorganisational collaboration and to identify the main theoretical and conceptual frameworks, (2) assess the empirical evidence with regard to how different interorganisational collaborations may (or may not) lead to improved performance and outcomes, (3) understand and learn from NHS evidence users and other stakeholders about how and where interorganisational collaborations can best be used to support turnaround processes, (4) develop a typology of interorganisational collaboration that considers different types and scales of collaboration appropriate to NHS provider contexts and (5) generate evidence-informed practical guidance for NHS providers, policy-makers and others with responsibility for implementing and assessing interorganisational collaboration arrangements. Design A realist synthesis was carried out to develop, test and refine theories about how interorganisational collaborations work, for whom and in what circumstances. Data sources Data sources were gathered from peer-reviewed and grey literature, realist interviews with 34 stakeholders and a focus group with patient and public representatives. Review methods Initial theories and ideas were gathered from scoping reviews that were gleaned and refined through a realist review of the literature. A range of stakeholder interviews and a focus group sought to further refine understandings of what works, for whom and in what circumstances with regard to high-performing interorganisational collaborations. Results A realist review and synthesis identified key mechanisms, such as trust, faith, confidence and risk tolerance, within the functioning of effective interorganisational collaborations. A stakeholder analysis refined this understanding and, in addition, developed a new programme theory of collaborative performance, with mechanisms related to cultural efficacy, organisational efficiency and technological effectiveness. A series of translatable tools, including a diagnostic survey and a collaboration maturity index, were also developed. Limitations The breadth of interorganisational collaboration arrangements included made it difficult to make specific recommendations for individual interorganisational collaboration types. The stakeholder analysis focused exclusively on England, UK, where the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges for fieldwork. Conclusions Implementing successful interorganisational collaborations is a difficult, complex task that requires significant time, resource and energy to achieve the collaborative functioning that generates performance improvements. A delicate balance of building trust, instilling faith and maintaining confidence is required for high-performing interorganisational collaborations to flourish. Future work Future research should further refine our theory by incorporating other workforce and user perspectives. Research into digital platforms for interorganisational collaborations and outcome measurement are advocated, along with place-based and cross-sectoral partnerships, as well as regulatory models for overseeing interorganisational collaborations. Study registration The study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019149009. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 11, No. 6. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Millar
- Health Services Management Centre, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Justin Avery Aunger
- Health Services Management Centre, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Anne Marie Rafferty
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Joanne Greenhalgh
- School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Russell Mannion
- Health Services Management Centre, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Hugh McLeod
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Kilander H, Sorcher R, Berglundh S, Petersson K, Wängborg A, Danielsson KG, Iwarsson KE, Brandén G, Thor J, Larsson EC. IMplementing best practice post-partum contraceptive services through a quality imPROVEment initiative for and with immigrant women in Sweden (IMPROVE it): a protocol for a cluster randomised control trial with a process evaluation. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:806. [PMID: 37138268 PMCID: PMC10154759 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15776-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immigrant women's challenges in realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are exacerbated by the lack of knowledge regarding how to tailor post-partum contraceptive services to their needs. Therefore, the overall aim of the IMPROVE-it project is to promote equity in SRHR through improvement of contraceptive services with and for immigrant women, and, thus, to strengthen women's possibility to choose and initiate effective contraceptive methods post-partum. METHODS This Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC) on contraceptive services and use will combine a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) with a process evaluation. The cRCT will be conducted at 28 maternal health clinics (MHCs) in Sweden, that are the clusters and unit of randomization, and include women attending regular post-partum visits within 16 weeks post birth. Utilizing the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model, the study's intervention strategies include learning sessions, action periods, and workshops informed by joint learning, co-design, and evidence-based practices. The primary outcome, women's choice of an effective contraceptive method within 16 weeks after giving birth, will be measured using the Swedish Pregnancy Register (SPR). Secondary outcomes regarding women's experiences of contraceptive counselling, use and satisfaction of chosen contraceptive method will be evaluated using questionnaires completed by participating women at enrolment, 6 and 12 months post enrolment. The outcomes including readiness, motivation, competence and confidence will be measured through project documentation and questionnaires. The project's primary outcome involving women's choice of contraceptive method will be estimated by using a logistic regression analysis. A multivariate analysis will be performed to control for age, sociodemographic characteristics, and reproductive history. The process evaluation will be conducted using recordings from learning sessions, questionnaires aimed at participating midwives, intervention checklists and project documents. DISCUSSION The intervention's co-design activities will meaningfully include immigrants in implementation research and allow midwives to have a direct, immediate impact on improving patient care. This study will also provide evidence as to what extent, how and why the QIC was effective in post-partum contraceptive services. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05521646, August 30, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Kilander
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
| | - Rachael Sorcher
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sofia Berglundh
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Petersson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Wängborg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristina Gemzell- Danielsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Emtell Iwarsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Brandén
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Center for Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Region Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Thor
- Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Elin C Larsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
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Antonacci G, Whitney J, Harris M, Reed JE. How do healthcare providers use national audit data for improvement? BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:393. [PMID: 37095495 PMCID: PMC10123973 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09334-6] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substantial resources are invested by Health Departments worldwide in introducing National Clinical Audits (NCAs). Yet, there is variable evidence on the NCAs' effectiveness and little is known on factors underlying the successful use of NCAs to improve local practice. This study will focus on a single NCA (the National Audit of Inpatient Falls -NAIF 2017) to explore: (i) participants' perspectives on the NCA reports, local feedback characteristics and actions undertaken following the feedback underpinning the effective use of the NCA feedback to improve local practice; (ii) reported changes in local practice following the NCA feedback in England and Wales. METHODS Front-line staff perspectives were gathered through interviews. An inductive qualitative approach was used. Eighteen participants were purposefully sampled from 7 of the 85 participating hospitals in England and Wales. Analysis was guided by constant comparative techniques. RESULTS Regarding the NAIF annual report, interviewees valued performance benchmarking with other hospitals, the use of visual representations and the inclusion of case studies and recommendations. Participants stated that feedback should target front-line healthcare professionals, be straightforward and focused, and be delivered through an encouraging and honest discussion. Interviewees highlighted the value of using other relevant data sources alongside NAIF feedback and the importance of continuous data monitoring. Participants reported that engagement of front-line staff in the NAIF and following improvement activities was critical. Leadership, ownership, management support and communication at different organisational levels were perceived as enablers, while staffing level and turnover, and poor quality improvement (QI) skills, were perceived as barriers to improvement. Reported changes in practice included increased awareness and attention to patient safety issues and greater involvement of patients and staff in falls prevention activities. CONCLUSIONS There is scope to improve the use of NCAs by front-line staff. NCAs should not be seen as isolated interventions but should be fully embedded and integrated into the QI strategic and operational plans of NHS trusts. The use of NCAs could be optimised, but knowledge of them is poor and distributed unevenly across different disciplines. More research is needed to provide guidance on key elements to consider throughout the whole improvement process at different organisational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Antonacci
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Northwest London, London, UK
- Business School, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Innovation (CHEPI), Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Julie Whitney
- Department of Physiotherapy, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Harris
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, South Kensington, UK
| | - Julie E Reed
- School of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
- Julie Reed Consultancy Ltd, London, UK
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Procureur F, Estifanos AS, Keraga DW, Kiflie Alemayehu AK, Hailemariam NW, Schellenberg J, Magge H, Hill Z. "Quality teaches you how to use water. It doesn't provide a water pump": a qualitative study of context and mechanisms of action in an Ethiopian quality improvement program. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:381. [PMID: 37076845 PMCID: PMC10116784 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality improvement collaboratives are a common approach to bridging the quality-of-care gap, but little is known about implementation in low-income settings. Implementers rarely consider mechanisms of change or the role of context, which may explain collaboratives' varied impacts. METHODS To understand mechanisms and contextual influences we conducted 55 in-depth interviews with staff from four health centres and two hospitals involved in quality improvement collaboratives in Ethiopia. We also generated control charts for selected indicators to explore any impacts of the collaboratives. RESULTS The cross facility learning sessions increased the prominence and focus on quality, allowed learning from experts and peers and were motivational through public recognition of success or a desire to emulate peers. Within facilities, new structures and processes were created. These were fragile and sometimes alienating to those outside the improvement team. The trusted and respected mentors were important for support, motivation and accountability. Where mentor visits were infrequent or mentors less skilled, team function was impacted. These mechanisms were more prominent, and quality improvement more functional, in facilities with strong leadership and pre-existing good teamwork; as staff had shared goals, an active approach to problems and were more willing and able to be flexible to implement change ideas. Quality improvement structures and processes were more likely to be internally driven and knowledge transferred to other staff in these facilities, which reduced the impact of staff turnover and increased buy-in. In facilities which lacked essential inputs, staff struggled to see how the collaborative could meaningfully improve quality and were less likely to have functioning quality improvement. The unexpected civil unrest in one region strongly disrupted the health system and the collaborative. These contextual issues were fluid, with multiple interactions and linkages. CONCLUSIONS The study confirms the need to carefully consider context in the implementation of quality improvement collaboratives. Facilities that implement quality improvement successfully may be those that already have characteristics that foster quality. Quality improvement may be alienating to those outside of the improvement team and implementers should not assume the organic spread or transfer of quality improvement knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Procureur
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Guilford St, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - A S Estifanos
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - D W Keraga
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - J Schellenberg
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - H Magge
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Global Health Equity, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Z Hill
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Guilford St, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
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Joshi MP, Alombah F, Konduri N, Ndiaye A, Kusu N, Kiggundu R, Lusaya EP, Tuala Tuala R, Embrey M, Hafner T, Traore O, Mbaye M, Akinola B, Namburete D, Acho A, Hema Y, Getahun W, Sayem MA, Nfor E. Moving from assessments to implementation: promising practices for strengthening multisectoral antimicrobial resistance containment capacity. ONE HEALTH OUTLOOK 2023; 5:7. [PMID: 37055845 PMCID: PMC10101730 DOI: 10.1186/s42522-023-00081-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global threat to human, animal, and environmental health. AMR is a technical area in the Global Health Security Agenda initiative which uses the Joint External Evaluation tool to evaluate national AMR containment capacity. This paper describes four promising practices for strengthening national antimicrobial resistance containment capacity based on the experiences of the US Agency for International Development's Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services Program work with 13 countries to implement their national action plans on AMR in the areas of multisectoral coordination, infection prevention and control, and antimicrobial stewardship. METHODS We use the World Health Organization (WHO) Benchmarks on International Health Regulations Capacities (2019) to guide national, subnational, and facility actions that advance Joint External Evaluation capacity levels from 1 (no capacity) to 5 (sustainable capacity). Our technical approach is based on scoping visits, baseline Joint External Evaluation scores, benchmarks tool guidance, and country resources and priorities. RESULTS We gleaned four promising practices to achieve AMR containment objectives: (1) implement appropriate actions using the WHO benchmarks tool, which prioritizes actions, making it easier for countries to incrementally increase their Joint External Evaluation capacity from level 1 to 5; (2) integrate AMR into national and global agendas. Ongoing agendas and programs at international, regional, and national levels provide opportunities to mainstream and interlink AMR containment efforts; (3) improve governance through multisectoral coordination on AMR. Strengthening multisectoral bodies' and their technical working groups' governance improved functioning, which led to better engagement with animal/agricultural sectors and a more coordinated COVID-19 pandemic response; and (4) mobilize and diversify funding for AMR containment. Long-term funding from diversified funding streams is vital for advancing and sustaining countries' Joint External Evaluation capacities. CONCLUSIONS The Global Health Security Agenda work has provided practical support to countries to frame and conduct AMR containment actions in terms of pandemic preparedness and health security. The WHO benchmarks tool that Global Health Security Agenda uses serves as a standardized organizing framework to prioritize capacity-appropriate AMR containment actions and transfer skills to help operationalize national action plans on AMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan P. Joshi
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Arlington, VA USA
| | - Fozo Alombah
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Arlington, VA USA
| | - Niranjan Konduri
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Arlington, VA USA
| | - Antoine Ndiaye
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Ndinda Kusu
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Reuben Kiggundu
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Edgar Peter Lusaya
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Robert Tuala Tuala
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Tamara Hafner
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Arlington, VA USA
| | - Ousmane Traore
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Bamako, Mali
| | - Mame Mbaye
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Babatunde Akinola
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Denylson Namburete
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Alphonse Acho
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Yacouba Hema
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Workineh Getahun
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Md Abu Sayem
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Emmanuel Nfor
- USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Arlington, VA USA
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Keane OA, Lally KP, Kelley-Quon LI. Rise of pediatric surgery collaboratives to facilitate quality improvement. Semin Pediatr Surg 2023; 32:151278. [PMID: 37156645 DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2023.151278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Broad changes in pediatric surgical care delivery are limited by the rarity of pediatric surgical diseases and the geographic dispersion of pediatric surgical care across different hospital types. Pediatric surgical collaboratives and consortiums can provide the patient sample size, research resources, and infrastructure to advance clinical care for children with who require surgery. Additionally, collaboratives can bring together experts and exemplar institutions to overcome barriers to pediatric surgical research to advance quality surgical care. Despite challenges to collaboration, many successful pediatric surgical collaboratives emerged in the last decade and continue to push the field forward towards high-quality, evidence-based care and improved outcomes. This review will discuss the need for continued research and quality improvement collaboratives in pediatric surgery, identify challenges faced when building collaboratives, and introduce future directions to expand impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia A Keane
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Department of Surgery, Mailstop #100, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kevin P Lally
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lorraine I Kelley-Quon
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd, Department of Surgery, Mailstop #100, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Breton M, Gaboury I, Martin E, Green ME, Kiran T, Laberge M, Kaczorowski J, Ivers N, Deville-Stoetzel N, Bordeleau F, Beaulieu C, Descoteaux S. Impact of externally facilitated continuous quality improvement cohorts on Advanced Access to support primary healthcare teams: protocol for a quasi-randomized cluster trial. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2023; 24:97. [PMID: 37038126 PMCID: PMC10088119 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-023-02048-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving access to primary health care is among top priorities for many countries. Advanced Access (AA) is one of the most recommended models to improve timely access to care. Over the past 15 years, the AA model has been implemented in Canada, but the implementation of AA varies substantially among providers and clinics. Continuous quality improvement (CQI) approaches can be used to promote organizational change like AA implementation. While CQI fosters the adoption of evidence-based practices, knowledge gaps remain, about the mechanisms by which QI happens and the sustainability of the results. The general aim of the study is to analyse the implementation and effects of CQI cohorts on AA for primary care clinics. Specific objectives are: 1) Analyse the process of implementing CQI cohorts to support PHC clinics in their improvement of AA. 2) Document and compare structural organisational changes and processes of care with respect to AA within study groups (intervention and control). 3) Assess the effectiveness of CQI cohorts on AA outcomes. 4) Appreciate the sustainability of the intervention for AA processes, organisational changes and outcomes. METHODS Cluster-controlled trial allowing for a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the proposed intervention 48 multidisciplinary primary care clinics will be recruited to participate. 24 Clinics from the intervention regions will receive the CQI intervention for 18 months including three activities carried out iteratively until the clinic's improvement objectives are achieved: 1) reflective sessions and problem priorisation; 2) plan-do-study-act cycles; and 3) group mentoring. Clinics located in the control regions will receive an audit-feedback report on access. Complementary qualitative and quantitative data reflecting the quintuple aim will be collected over a period of 36 months. RESULTS This research will contribute to filling the gap in the generalizability of CQI interventions and accelerate the spread of effective AA improvement strategies while strengthening local QI culture within clinics. This research will have a direct impact on patients' experiences of care. CONCLUSION This mixed-method approach offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the scientific literature on large-scale CQI cohorts to improve AA in primary care teams and to better understand the processes of CQI. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials: NCT05715151.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylaine Breton
- Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil, 150 Place Charles-LeMoyne, Office 200, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada.
| | - Isabelle Gaboury
- Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil, 150 Place Charles-LeMoyne, Office 200, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Martin
- Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil, 150 Place Charles-LeMoyne, Office 200, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada
| | | | - Tara Kiran
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Noah Ivers
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nadia Deville-Stoetzel
- Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil, 150 Place Charles-LeMoyne, Office 200, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada
| | - Francois Bordeleau
- Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil, 150 Place Charles-LeMoyne, Office 200, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada
| | - Christine Beaulieu
- Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil, 150 Place Charles-LeMoyne, Office 200, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada
| | - Sarah Descoteaux
- Université de Sherbrooke, Campus Longueuil, 150 Place Charles-LeMoyne, Office 200, Longueuil, QC, J4K 0A8, Canada
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Chua KC, Henderson C, Grey B, Holland M, Sevdalis N. Evaluating quality improvement at scale: A pilot study on routine reporting for executive board governance in a UK National Health Service organisation. EVALUATION AND PROGRAM PLANNING 2023; 97:102222. [PMID: 36586303 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2022.102222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality improvement (QI) in healthcare is a cultural transformation process. We explored how routine reporting could be developed to aid visibility of the process for QI governance. METHOD A retrospective evaluation of QI projects in a large healthcare organisation was conducted. We used an online survey so that the data accrual process resembled routine reporting to help identify implementation challenges. A purposive sample of QI projects was targeted to maximise contrast between projects that were or were not successful as determined by the resident QI team. To hone strategic focus in what should be reported, we also compared factors that might affect project outcomes. RESULTS Out of 52 QI projects, 10 led to a change in routine practice ('adoption'). Details of project outcomes were limited. Project team outcomes, indicative of capacity building, were not systematically documented. Service user involvement, quality of measurement plan, fidelity of plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles had a major impact on adoption. CONCLUSION Designing a routine reporting framework requires an iterative process to navigate data accrual demands. A retrospective evaluation, as in this study, can yield empirical insights to support development of QI governance, thereby honing the implementation science of QI in a healthcare organisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kia-Chong Chua
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
| | - Claire Henderson
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
| | - Barbara Grey
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
| | | | - Nick Sevdalis
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
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McHugh M, Philbin S, Carroll AJ, Vu MH, Ciolino JD, Maki B, Day A, Smith JD, Walunas T. An Approach to Evaluating Multisector Partnerships to Support Evidence-Based Quality Improvement in Primary Care. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2023; 49:199-206. [PMID: 36739267 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality improvement (QI) interventions in primary care are increasingly designed and implemented by multisector partnerships, yet little guidance exists on how to best monitor or evaluate these partnerships. The goal of this project was to describe an approach for evaluating the development and effectiveness of a multisector partnership using data from the first year of the Healthy Hearts for Michigan (HH4M) Cooperative, a multisector partnership of nine organizations tasked with designing and implementing evidence-based QI strategies for hypertension management and tobacco cessation in 50 rural primary care practices. METHODS The researchers developed a 49-item online survey focused on factors that facilitate or hinder multisector partnerships, drawing on implementation science and partnership, engagement, and collaboration research. The team surveyed all 44 members of the HH4M Cooperative (79.5% response rate) and conducted interviews with 14 members. The interviews focused on implementation phase-specific goals, accomplishments, and challenges. Descriptive analysis was used for the survey results, and thematic analysis for the interview data. RESULTS Respondents reported strong overall performance by the Cooperative during its first year, which facilitated the successful completion of several intervention design tasks. Strengths included having a clear purpose and trust and respect among members. Areas for improvement included a need for common terminology, clarification of roles and functions, and improvement in communication across workgroups. Lack of engagement from physician practices due to capacity constraints, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, was the Cooperative's biggest challenge. CONCLUSION This multimethod approach to evaluating the development and effectiveness of a multisector partnership yielded practical, actionable feedback to program leaders.
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Atkins E, Birmpili P, Glidewell L, Li Q, Johal AS, Waton S, Boyle JR, Pherwani AD, Chetter I, Cromwell DA. Effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives in UK surgical settings and barriers and facilitators influencing their implementation: a systematic review and evidence synthesis. BMJ Open Qual 2023; 12:bmjoq-2022-002241. [PMID: 37037588 PMCID: PMC10106059 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002241] [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: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-quality surgical care is vital to deliver the excellent outcomes patients deserve following surgical treatment. Quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) are based on a multicentre model for improving healthcare. They are increasingly used but their effectiveness in the context of surgical services is unclear. This review assessed effectiveness of QICs in National Health Service (NHS) surgical settings, and identified factors that influenced implementation. METHODS A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE, as well as grey literature, was conducted in January 2022 to identify evaluations of QICs in NHS surgical settings. Data were extracted on the intervention, setting, study results and factors that were identified as facilitators or barriers. These were coded using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The quality of study reports was assessed using Quality Improvement Minimum Criteria Set. RESULTS Fifteen reports on 10 QICs met inclusion criteria. The evaluations used study designs of different strength, with one using a stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial (RCT). Eight studies reported the QIC had been successful in achieving their principal aims, which covered a mix of patient outcomes and process indicators. The study based on the RCT found the QIC was not successful (no improvement in patient outcomes). Each article reported a range of facilitators and barriers to effectiveness of implementation of the QIC, which were spread across the CFIR domains (intervention, outer setting, inner setting, individuals and process). There were few barriers reported in the intervention domain that related to the QIC. There was no clear relationship between numbers of facilitators and barriers reported and effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS Studies have reported QICs to be effective in increasingly complex contexts, but their results must be treated with caution. The evaluations often used weak study designs and the quality of reports was variable. Evaluation with strong study design should be integral to future QICs. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022324970.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Atkins
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
- Hull York Medical School, Hull, UK
| | - Panagiota Birmpili
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
- Hull York Medical School, Hull, UK
| | | | - Qiuju Li
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Amundeep S Johal
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
| | - Sam Waton
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
| | - Jon R Boyle
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
| | - Arun D Pherwani
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent, UK
| | | | - David A Cromwell
- Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Implementation through translation: a qualitative case study of translation processes in the implementation of quality improvement collaboratives. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:241. [PMID: 36915089 PMCID: PMC10009851 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09201-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) are used extensively to implement quality improvement in healthcare, and current research is demonstrating positive yet varying evidence. To interpret the effectiveness results, it is necessary to illuminate the dynamics of QIC implementation in specific contexts. Using Scandinavian institutionalist translation theory as a theoretical framework, this study aims to make two contributions. First, we provide insights into the dynamics of the translation processes inherent in QIC implementation. Second, we discuss the implications of the translation processes as experienced by participating actors. METHODS We used empirical data from a qualitative case study investigating the implementation of QICs as an approach to quality improvement within a national Danish healthcare quality program. We included two diverse QICs to allow for exploration of the significance of organizational complexity for the translation processes. Data comprised qualitative interviews, participant observation and documentary material. RESULTS Translation was an inherent part of QIC implementation. Key actors at different organizational levels engaged in translation of their implementation roles, and the QIC content and methodology. They drew on different translation strategies and practices that mainly materialized as kinds of modification. The translations were motivated by deliberate, strategic, and pragmatic rationales, contingent on combinations of features of the actors' organizational contexts, and the transformability and organizational complexity of the QICs. The findings point to a transformative power of translation, as different translations led to various regional and local QIC versions. Furthermore, the findings indicate that translation affects the outcomes of the implementation process and the QIC intervention. Translation may positively affect the institutionalization of the QICs and the creation of professional engagement and negatively influence the QIC effects. CONCLUSION The findings extends the current research concerning the understanding of the dynamics of the translation processes embedded in the local implementation of QICs, and thus constitute a valuable contribution to a more sustainable and effective implementation of QICs in healthcare improvement. For researchers and practitioners, this highlights translation as an embedded part of the QIC implementation process, and encourages detailed attention to the implications of translation for both organizational institutionalization and realisation of the expected intervention outcomes.
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Kinney MV, George AS, Rhoda NR, Pattinson RC, Bergh AM. From Pre-Implementation to Institutionalization: Lessons From Sustaining a Perinatal Audit Program in South Africa. GLOBAL HEALTH: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023; 11:GHSP-D-22-00213. [PMID: 37116922 PMCID: PMC10141437 DOI: 10.9745/ghsp-d-22-00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR), or related forms of maternal and perinatal death audits, can strengthen health systems. We explore the history of initiating, scaling up, and institutionalizing a national perinatal audit program in South Africa. METHODS Data collection involved 56 individual interviews, a systematic document review, administration of a semistructured questionnaire, and 10 nonparticipant observations of meetings related to the perinatal audit program. Fieldwork and data collection in the subdistricts occurred from September 2019 to March 2020. Data analysis included thematic content analysis and application of a tool to measure subdistrict-level implementation. This study expands on case study research applied to 5 Western Cape subdistricts with long histories of implementation. RESULTS Although established in the early 1990s, the perinatal audit program was not integrated into national policy and guidelines until 2012 but was then excluded from policy in 2021. A network of national and subnational structures that benefited from a continuity of actors evolved and interacted to support uptake and implementation. Intentional efforts to demonstrate impact and enable local adaptation allowed for more ownership and buy-in. Implementation requires continuous efforts. Even in 5 subdistricts with long histories of practice, we found operational gaps, such as incomplete meeting minutes, signaling a need for strengthening. Nevertheless, the tool used to measure implementation may require revisions, particularly in settings with institutionalized practice. CONCLUSION This article provides lessons on how to initiate, expand, and strengthen perinatal audit. Despite a long history of implementation, the perinatal audit program in South Africa cannot be assumed to be indefinitely sustainable or final in its current form. To monitor uptake and sustainability of MPDSR, including perinatal audit, we need research approaches that allow exploration of context, local adaptation, and underlying issues that support sustainability, such as relationships, leadership, and trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary V. Kinney
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Asha S. George
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Natasha R. Rhoda
- Mowbray Maternity Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Robert C. Pattinson
- Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Anne-Marie Bergh
- Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Rashan A, Beane A, Ghose A, Dondorp AM, Kwizera A, Vijayaraghavan BKT, Biccard B, Righy C, Thwaites CL, Pell C, Sendagire C, Thomson D, Done DG, Aryal D, Wagstaff D, Nadia F, Putoto G, Panaru H, Udayanga I, Amuasi J, Salluh J, Gokhale K, Nirantharakumar K, Pisani L, Hashmi M, Schultz M, Ghalib MS, Mukaka M, Mat-Nor MB, Siaw-frimpong M, Surenthirakumaran R, Haniffa R, Kaddu RP, Pereira SP, Murthy S, Harris S, Moonesinghe SR, Vengadasalam S, Tripathy S, Gooden TE, Tolppa T, Pari V, Waweru-Siika W, Minh YL. Mixed methods study protocol for combining stakeholder-led rapid evaluation with near real-time continuous registry data to facilitate evaluations of quality of care in intensive care units. Wellcome Open Res 2023. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18710.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Improved access to healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has not equated to improved health outcomes. Absence or unsustained quality of care is partly to blame. Improving outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) requires delivery of complex interventions by multiple specialties working in concert, and the simultaneous prevention of avoidable harms associated with the illness and the treatment interventions. Therefore, successful design and implementation of improvement interventions requires understanding of the behavioural, organisational, and external factors that determine care delivery and the likelihood of achieving sustained improvement. We aim to identify care processes that contribute to suboptimal clinical outcomes in ICUs located in LMICs and to establish barriers and enablers for improving the care processes. Methods: Using rapid evaluation methods, we will use four data collection methods: 1) registry embedded indicators to assess quality of care processes and their associated outcomes; 2) process mapping to provide a preliminary framework to understand gaps between current and desired care practices; 3) structured observations of processes of interest identified from the process mapping and; 4) focus group discussions with stakeholders to identify barriers and enablers influencing the gap between current and desired care practices. We will also collect self-assessments of readiness for quality improvement. Data collection and analysis will be performed in parallel and through an iterative process across eight countries: Kenya, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam. Conclusions: The results of our study will provide essential information on where and how care processes can be improved to facilitate better quality of care to critically ill patients in LMICs; thus, reduce preventable mortality and morbidity in ICUs. Furthermore, understanding the rapid evaluation methods that will be used for this study will allow other researchers and healthcare professionals to carry out similar research in ICUs and other health services.
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47
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Eljiz K, Greenfield D, Hogden A, Agaliotis M, Taylor R, Siddiqui N. Implementing health system improvement: resources and strategies for interprofessional teams. BMJ Open Qual 2023; 12:bmjoq-2022-001896. [PMID: 36707126 PMCID: PMC9884892 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2022-001896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Health system improvement (HSI) is focused on systematic changes to organisational processes and practices to improve the efficient delivery of safe care and quality outcomes. Guidelines that specify how interprofessional teams conduct HSI and knowledge translation are needed. We address this urgent requirement providing health professional teams with resources and strategies to investigate, analyse and implement system-level improvements. HSI encompasses similar, yet different, inter-related activities across a continuum. The continuum spans three categories of activities, such as quality improvement, health management research and translational health management research. A HSI decision making guide and checklist, comprising six-steps, is presented that can be used to select and plan projects. This resource comprises six interconnected steps including, defining the activity, project outcome, aim, use of evidence, appropriate methodology and implementation plan. Each step has been developed focusing on an objective, actions and resources. HSI activities provide a foundation for interprofessional collaboration, allowing multiple professions to create, share and disseminate knowledge for improved healthcare. When planned and executed well, HSI projects assist clinical and corporate staff to make evidence-informed decisions and directions for the benefit of the service, organisation and sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Eljiz
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Greenfield
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anne Hogden
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,Australian Institute of Health Services Management, University of Tasmania Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria Agaliotis
- Australian Institute of Health Services Management, University of Tasmania Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Robyn Taylor
- Australian Institute of Health Services Management, University of Tasmania Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nazlee Siddiqui
- Australian Institute of Health Services Management, University of Tasmania Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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48
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Rashan A, Beane A, Ghose A, Dondorp AM, Kwizera A, Vijayaraghavan BKT, Biccard B, Righy C, Thwaites CL, Pell C, Sendagire C, Thomson D, Done DG, Aryal D, Wagstaff D, Nadia F, Putoto G, Panaru H, Udayanga I, Amuasi J, Salluh J, Gokhale K, Nirantharakumar K, Pisani L, Hashmi M, Schultz M, Ghalib MS, Mukaka M, Mat-Nor MB, Siaw-frimpong M, Surenthirakumaran R, Haniffa R, Kaddu RP, Pereira SP, Murthy S, Harris S, Moonesinghe SR, Vengadasalam S, Tripathy S, Gooden TE, Tolppa T, Pari V, Waweru-Siika W, Minh YL. Mixed methods study protocol for combining stakeholder-led rapid evaluation with near real-time continuous registry data to facilitate evaluations of quality of care in intensive care units. Wellcome Open Res 2023. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18710.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Improved access to healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has not equated to improved health outcomes. Absence or unsustained quality of care is partly to blame. Improving outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) requires delivery of complex interventions by multiple specialties working in concert, and the simultaneous prevention of avoidable harms associated with the illness and the treatment interventions. Therefore, successful design and implementation of improvement interventions requires understanding of the behavioural, organisational, and external factors that determine care delivery and the likelihood of achieving sustained improvement. We aim to identify care processes that contribute to suboptimal clinical outcomes in ICUs located in LMICs and to establish barriers and enablers for improving the care processes. Methods: Using rapid evaluation methods, we will use four data collection methods: 1) registry embedded indicators to assess quality of care processes and their associated outcomes; 2) process mapping to provide a preliminary framework to understand gaps between current and desired care practices; 3) structured observations of processes of interest identified from the process mapping and; 4) focus group discussions with stakeholders to identify barriers and enablers influencing the gap between current and desired care practices. We will also collect self-assessments of readiness for quality improvement. Data collection and analysis will be performed in parallel and through an iterative process across eight countries: Kenya, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam. Conclusions: The results of our study will provide essential information on where and how care processes can be improved to facilitate better quality of care to critically ill patients in LMICs; thus, reduce preventable mortality and morbidity in ICUs. Furthermore, understanding the rapid evaluation methods that will be used for this study will allow other researchers and healthcare professionals to carry out similar research in ICUs and other health services.
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49
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Unkels R, Alwy Al-Beity F, Julius Z, Mkumbo E, Pembe AB, Hanson C, Molsted-Alvesson H. Understanding maternity care providers' use of data in Southern Tanzania. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:bmjgh-2022-010937. [PMID: 36609348 PMCID: PMC9827191 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Health information management system data is collected for national planning and evaluation but is rarely used for healthcare improvements at subnational or facility-level in low-and-middle-income countries. Research suggests that perceived data quality and lack of feedback are contributing factors. We aimed to understand maternity care providers' perceptions of data and how they use it, with a view to co-design interventions to improve data quality and use. METHODS We based our research on constructivist grounded theory. We conducted 14 in-depth interviews, two focus group discussions with maternity care providers and 48 hours of observations in maternity wards to understand maternity providers' interaction with data in two rural hospitals in Southern Tanzania. Constant comparative data analysis was applied to develop initial and focused codes, subcategories and categories were continuously validated through peer and member checks. RESULTS Maternity care providers found routine health information data of little use to reconcile demands from managers, the community and their challenging working environment within their daily work. They thus added informal narrative documentation sources. They created alternative narratives through data of a maternity care where mothers and babies were safeguarded. The resulting documentation system, however, led to duplication and increased systemic complexity. CONCLUSIONS Current health information systems may not meet all data demands of maternity care providers, or other healthcare workers. Policy makers and health information system specialists need to acknowledge different ways of data use beyond health service planning, with an emphasis on healthcare providers' data needs for clinical documentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regine Unkels
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fadhlun Alwy Al-Beity
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Zamoyoni Julius
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Elibariki Mkumbo
- Health Systems, Policy and Economic Evaluations, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Andrea B Pembe
- Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Claudia Hanson
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Dept of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London, UK
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50
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Abera A, Tolera A, Tusa BS, Weldesenbet AB, Tola A, Shiferaw T, Girma A, Mohammed R, Dessie Y. Experiences, barriers, and facilitators of health data use among performance monitoring teams (PMT) of health facilities in Eastern Ethiopia: A qualitative study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285662. [PMID: 37167309 PMCID: PMC10174501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Routine health data is crucial in decision-making and improved health outcomes. Despite the significant investments in improving Ethiopia's Performance Monitoring Team (PMT), there is limited evidence on the involvement, implementation strategies, and facilitators and barriers to data utilization by these teams responding to present and emerging health challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the PMT experiences, facilitators, and barriers to information use in healthcare facilities in Eastern Ethiopia. METHOD This study employed a phenomenological study design using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify the most relevant constructs, aiming to describe the data use approaches at six facilities in Dire Dawa and Harari regions in July 2021. Key informant interviews were conducted among 18 purposively selected experts using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic coding analysis was applied using a partially deductive approach informed by previous studies and an inductive technique with the creation of new emerging themes. Data were analyzed thematically using ATLAS.ti. RESULTS Study participants felt the primary function of PMT was improving health service delivery. This study also revealed that data quality, performance, service quality, and improvement strategies were among the major focus areas of the PMT. Data use by the PMT was affected by poor data quality, absence of accountability, and lack of recognition for outstanding performance. In addition, the engagement of PMT members on multiple committees negatively impacted data use leading to inadequate follow-up of PMT activities, weariness, and insufficient time to complete responsibilities. CONCLUSION Performance monitoring teams in the health facilities were established and functioning according to the national standard. However, barriers to operative data use included PMT engagement with multiple committees, poor data quality, lack of accountability, and poor documentation practices. Addressing the potential barriers by leveraging the PMT and existing structures have the potential to improve data use and health service performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Admas Abera
- School of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Abebe Tolera
- School of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Biruk Shalmeno Tusa
- School of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Adisu Birhanu Weldesenbet
- School of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Assefa Tola
- School of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Tilahun Shiferaw
- Department of Information Sciences, College of Computing and Informatics, Haramaya University, Haramaya, Ethiopia
| | - Alemayehu Girma
- Policy and Plan Directorate, Dire Dawa Administration Health Bureau, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
| | - Rania Mohammed
- Policy and Plan Directorate, Harari Regional Health Bureau, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Yadeta Dessie
- School of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
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