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LAC SOTA. Quality Improvement Session March 15, 2001 James Heiby, G/PHN/HN. Quality of Care. Start with focus on provider compliance with evidence-based clinical guidelines Process of care as pathway to impact Global trend: developed and developing countries
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LAC SOTA Quality Improvement Session March 15, 2001 James Heiby, G/PHN/HN
Quality of Care • Start with focus on provider compliance with evidence-based clinical guidelines • Process of care as pathway to impact • Global trend: developed and developing countries • Prominent examples: IMCI, EOC, TB Case Management
Implications of Clinical Guidelines • Well suited for basic services • But lack of management systems to support compliance • Large number of tasks at issue • Use reduces variation in care • Principles apply to administrative processes:When the same process is carried out repeatedly, invest in finding out the best way
Clinical Guidelines as Tools • Mechanism to communicate current science • How developed affects feasibility and acceptance by providers: participation • Need to evaluate and modify • Clear, user-friendly presentation • First step: Make them available
Standards for Neonatal Resuscitation will be Applied at Each Delivery
Guidelines:Some Issues • What constitutes a good guideline? • How important is compliance ? • If it’s 30 or 40% • If levels of compliance are unknown • If there’s no standard in the first place • Relationship to decentralization, other health reforms • Future demands: MDRTB, AIDS, anti-microbial resistance, IPC
Quality Assessment and Monitoring • Numerous external studies of quality • Emphasis on observers with instruments • Suggest widespread deficiencies • Few programs currently monitor compliance with guidelines • large numbers of health processes to monitor: need for new indicators • Measurement is essential for improvement strategies
ARI Case Management in 17 WHO Facility Surveys (1995) • pneu= pneumonia cases correctly managed (%) • advis= caretakers correctly advised • antib= inappropriate use of antibiotics • range: 2-82%
Issues for Quality Assessment and Monitoring • Every approach has strengths and weaknesses • Several promising approaches, but not well-studied • Strategies using a mix of methods • emphasize simplest methods, with validation through more rigorous ones • logical but poorly studied • Measures to support honest reporting
Methodologies for Routine Monitoring of Quality • Observation with instrument • Supervisor checklists • External teams: accreditation model • Peer assessment • Self-assessment • Competency testing: clinical “vignettes”, interviews • Surrogate patient • Improved medical records/audit
Quality Indicators in Ecuadorian Hospitals • % children <5 with ARI with 4 IMCI danger signs evaluated • % prenatal sessions that include all 14 standard services • % listed IMCI drugs in stock during the month
Quality Indicators in Bangladesh PVO Program • Basic MCH/FP services: >800 tasks • 24 PVOs, 109 clinics • 46 indicators of quality in 5 main groups: • physical plant • provider technical competence • follow-up and referral • logistics • supervision/coordination
Bangladesh PVO Program Quality Indicators • Each indicator scored as: • 0-not acceptable • .5-acceptable • 1-”star” • All indicators given equal weight • Indicators averaged for reporting by main groups: “quality coefficient”
Strategies for Promoting Compliance with Guidelines • Established approaches: • Technical training • skills and knowledge necessary • guidelines define competencies • improving the cost-effectiveness of training • limitations of training: “Performance Improvement” • Supportive supervision, technical assistance • well-defined strategies ? • cost and effectiveness
Observed IMCI Skill Score byTraining Type over Time Main Finding: No difference in IMCI skills between the two training types at each period of observation.
Strategies for Promoting Compliance with Guidelines • Approaches from the QA field • sustained communication of guidelines • large developed country literature • underlying rationale • endorsement by authorities • clinical case studies • self-assessment • performance feedback • objective feedback to providers is uncommon • limited research suggests potential
Quality of Interpersonal Communication in Indonesia • Study design: • Control: training only • Training plus self assessment • Training, self assessment, plus peer review • Assessments at baseline, 1, and 4 months
Strategies for Promoting Compliance with Guidelines • Systematic design of job aids • IMCI recording form • Critical pathways for EOC • Client memory aid for antibiotics • Instructions for malaria diagnostic test • Managed incentive systems • material • non-material • Personnel systems
Quality Improvement/Problem Solving • Industrial model: quality management, TQM, CQI • Widely used in US, other DCs • Expanding use in LDCs; hundreds of local applications • Provides a framework for problem solving • Intangible benefit: change in attitude toward problems, “culture of quality”
Problem: high rate of malaria “re-attendants” Team’s analysis 23% of malaria patients returned 84% forgot instructions Evidence of discarded drugs Interventions directly observed dose of SP educate community on treatment instructions Blood smear for all re-attendants Salima: Improving Patient Compliance-Malaria
Blantyre, Malawi: Preparing for IMCI Implementation • Problem identified: provider time with patients too brief for IMCI, waiting times already long • Data collection: client flow, staff time Interventions tested: • reorganized registration system • changed staffing pattern • introduced one-way flow for patients • lunch hour changes
Study 2: Problem-Solving Teams Intervention • Supervisors from 2 districts trained and coached 23 facility-based teams • Teams problem-solve using simple quality tools • Teams assigned the problem of improving IMCI performance, but selected own solutions to implement
Solutions Implemented by Teams Number of teams
Improvement Trends in IMCI Case Management,* 1998-2000 Percentage point improvement *Based on composite index of 4 aspects: assessment, classification, treatment, counseling **n=number of facilities
Quality Improvement/Problem Solving • Remaining issues: • weak documentation by most teams • potential for wider use of local team experiences • need for increased focus on clinical care • cost-effectiveness comparison of CQI with streamlined methodologies • incentives for teams • longitudinal evaluations
The Design of Health Services • How the work of staff, performing different sets of tasks is organized • The design of a “system of care” for a given condition can include community through referral hospital • Re-design: if current design doesn’t make sense • Relationship to QI: fixing specific problems vs. starting over
The Design of Health Services • Methodology: a stepwise process for incorporating the views of stakeholders within resource constraints • LAMM initiative: EOC • May be useful when introducing new clinical standards, like IMCI • Tver, Russia: re-design of system of care of neonates to implement new EBGs:
Key Results of (Re)Designing the System of Neonatal Care in Tver • 93% 7-day survival rate after initial resuscitation • 46% increase in neonates transported to NICU with normal body temperature • 63% reduction in neonatal mortality due to RDS
Regulatory Strategies • Major examples: • Accreditation of facilities and training programs • Certification of specialized competencies • Licensing of professionals and hospitals • Based on transparent, external evaluation of care or competence • Usually periodic, time -limited • Assessment has consequences
Regulatory Strategies • Accreditation and certification not limited to government bodies • Provides consumers with a “report card” • Limited alternatives for influencing quality in the private sector • LDC programs expanding • Recent innovations in DCs: • re-testing for licensing • assistance to improve vs. punitive action
Whether Mystery Shoppers Were Sold Correct Drugs (Shoppers=203) (Shoppers=302) *Correct type was defined as an effective SP plus an antipyretic. Significant difference at p<.000.
Issues for Discussion • Organization of QA activities that are accountable for resources used and results • Evaluation of QA programs • Relationship of cost and quality • Potential contribution of human resources approaches • Role of the community in QA
Issues for Discussion • QA and health reform issues such as decentralization and financing • Applications to HIV/AIDS, TB, and anti-microbial resistance • QA in pre-service training • Role of international lenders • Patient satisfaction and utilization