ABSTRACT
The quality of care and treatment for tuberculosis (TB) is a major barrier in global efforts to end TB as a global health emergency. Despite a growing recognition of the need to measure, assure, and improve quality of TB services, implementation of quality improvement (QI) activities remains limited. Applying principles of systems thinking, continuous measurement, and root cause analysis, QI represents a proven approach for identifying and addressing performance gaps in healthcare delivery, with demonstrated success in low- and middle-income settings in the areas of HIV/AIDS, maternal, newborn, and child health, and infection control, among others. Drawing from lessons learned in the development of QI programming as part of the global response to HIV, we review key enablers to implementation that may assist NTPs in turning aspirations of high-quality service delivery into action. Under the umbrella of a formal quality management (QM) program, NTPs' attention to planning and coordination, commitment to tracking key processes of care, investment in QI capacity building, and integration of TB QI activities within efforts to advance universal health coverage provide a framework to sustainably implement QI activities.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: With the scale-up of antiretroviral treatment, many health facilities in low- and middle-income countries have implemented innovative practices targeted at overcoming operational challenges and delivering efficient quality HIV services. However, many of these practices remain largely unexplored as a means to better reach the global 90-90-90 targets. SETTING: A study was conducted on selected facilities in districts of country programs supported by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The aims of the study were to understand how facilities seek to improve the delivery and uptake of HIV services and to examine what innovative practices might be contributing to their success. METHODS: The study used a qualitative approach through observations, document reviews, and semistructured interviews with site management and clinical staff to identify service delivery innovations in 30 health facilities in Kenya and Uganda. RESULTS: Eleven innovative practices were observed along the HIV care cascade. These practices led to improvements in the quality of testing, treatment, and retention across the facilities. Effective human resource and data management processes also enabled the implementation of these innovative practices. CONCLUSIONS: Many facilities use innovative practices along the HIV care cascade to address bottlenecks and challenges. These have the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of service delivery and support the attainment of the 90-90-90 treatment targets. Replicating these practices would require further implementation research and a mind shift of donors, governments, and implementers from a metric of coverage to a stronger focus on efficiency and impact.
