An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries

This paper assesses the quality of health care across African countries based on health providers' clinical knowledge, their clinic attendance, and drug availability, with a focus on seven conditions accounting for a large share of child and m...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Di Giorgio, Laura, Evans, David K., Lindelow, Magnus, Nguyen, Son Nam, Svensson, Jakob, Wane, Waly, Tarneberg, Anna Welander
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/609841602788157350/An-Analysis-of-Clinical-Knowledge-Absenteeism-and-Availability-of-Resources-for-Maternal-and-Child-Health-A-Cross-Sectional-Quality-of-Care-Study-in-10-African-Countries
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34648
id okr-10986-34648
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-346482022-09-20T00:11:22Z An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries Di Giorgio, Laura Evans, David K. Lindelow, Magnus Nguyen, Son Nam Svensson, Jakob Wane, Waly Tarneberg, Anna Welander MATERNAL HEALTH CHILD HEALTH HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE CHILDHOOD ILLNESS ABSENTEEISM COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS This paper assesses the quality of health care across African countries based on health providers' clinical knowledge, their clinic attendance, and drug availability, with a focus on seven conditions accounting for a large share of child and maternal mortality: malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhea, pneumonia, diabetes, neonatal asphyxia, and postpartum hemorrhage. With nationally representative, cross-sectional data from 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, collected using clinical vignettes, unannounced visits, and visual inspections of facilities, this study assesses whether health providers are available and have sufficient knowledge and means to diagnose and treat patients suffering from common conditions amenable to primary health care. The study draws on data from 8,061 primary and secondary care facilities in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda, and 22,746 health workers. These data were gathered under the Service Delivery Indicators program. Across all conditions and countries, health care providers were able to correctly diagnose 64 percent of the clinical vignette cases, and in 45 percent of the cases, the treatment plan was aligned with the correct diagnosis. For diarrhea and pneumonia, two common causes of under-five deaths, 27 percent of the providers correctly diagnosed and prescribed the appropriate treatment for both conditions. On average, 70 percent of health workers were present in the facilities to provide care during facility hours when those workers were scheduled to be on duty. Taken together, the estimated likelihood that a facility has at least one staff present with competency and the key inputs required to provide child, neonatal, and maternity care that meets minimum quality standards is 14 percent. Poor clinical knowledge is a greater constraint in care readiness than drug availability or health workers' absenteeism in the 10 countries. However, the paper documents substantial heterogeneity across countries. 2020-10-22T16:19:48Z 2020-10-22T16:19:48Z 2020-10 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/609841602788157350/An-Analysis-of-Clinical-Knowledge-Absenteeism-and-Availability-of-Resources-for-Maternal-and-Child-Health-A-Cross-Sectional-Quality-of-Care-Study-in-10-African-Countries http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34648 English Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9440 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Africa Kenya Madagascar Mozambique Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Tanzania Togo Uganda
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic MATERNAL HEALTH
CHILD HEALTH
HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY
QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE
CHILDHOOD ILLNESS
ABSENTEEISM
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
spellingShingle MATERNAL HEALTH
CHILD HEALTH
HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY
QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE
CHILDHOOD ILLNESS
ABSENTEEISM
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
Di Giorgio, Laura
Evans, David K.
Lindelow, Magnus
Nguyen, Son Nam
Svensson, Jakob
Wane, Waly
Tarneberg, Anna Welander
An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries
geographic_facet Africa
Kenya
Madagascar
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9440
description This paper assesses the quality of health care across African countries based on health providers' clinical knowledge, their clinic attendance, and drug availability, with a focus on seven conditions accounting for a large share of child and maternal mortality: malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhea, pneumonia, diabetes, neonatal asphyxia, and postpartum hemorrhage. With nationally representative, cross-sectional data from 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, collected using clinical vignettes, unannounced visits, and visual inspections of facilities, this study assesses whether health providers are available and have sufficient knowledge and means to diagnose and treat patients suffering from common conditions amenable to primary health care. The study draws on data from 8,061 primary and secondary care facilities in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda, and 22,746 health workers. These data were gathered under the Service Delivery Indicators program. Across all conditions and countries, health care providers were able to correctly diagnose 64 percent of the clinical vignette cases, and in 45 percent of the cases, the treatment plan was aligned with the correct diagnosis. For diarrhea and pneumonia, two common causes of under-five deaths, 27 percent of the providers correctly diagnosed and prescribed the appropriate treatment for both conditions. On average, 70 percent of health workers were present in the facilities to provide care during facility hours when those workers were scheduled to be on duty. Taken together, the estimated likelihood that a facility has at least one staff present with competency and the key inputs required to provide child, neonatal, and maternity care that meets minimum quality standards is 14 percent. Poor clinical knowledge is a greater constraint in care readiness than drug availability or health workers' absenteeism in the 10 countries. However, the paper documents substantial heterogeneity across countries.
format Working Paper
author Di Giorgio, Laura
Evans, David K.
Lindelow, Magnus
Nguyen, Son Nam
Svensson, Jakob
Wane, Waly
Tarneberg, Anna Welander
author_facet Di Giorgio, Laura
Evans, David K.
Lindelow, Magnus
Nguyen, Son Nam
Svensson, Jakob
Wane, Waly
Tarneberg, Anna Welander
author_sort Di Giorgio, Laura
title An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries
title_short An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries
title_full An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries
title_fullStr An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries
title_full_unstemmed An Analysis of Clinical Knowledge, Absenteeism, and Availability of Resources for Maternal and Child Health : A Cross-Sectional Quality of Care Study in 10 African Countries
title_sort analysis of clinical knowledge, absenteeism, and availability of resources for maternal and child health : a cross-sectional quality of care study in 10 african countries
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2020
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/609841602788157350/An-Analysis-of-Clinical-Knowledge-Absenteeism-and-Availability-of-Resources-for-Maternal-and-Child-Health-A-Cross-Sectional-Quality-of-Care-Study-in-10-African-Countries
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34648
_version_ 1764481350144884736