| Literature DB >> 27354074 |
T P Mashamba-Thompson1, P K Drain2, B Sartorius1.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Poor healthcare access is a major barrier to receiving antenatal care and a cause of high maternal mortality in South Africa (SA). 'Point-of-care' (POC) diagnostics is a powerful emerging healthcare approach to improve healthcare access. This study focuses on evaluating the accessibility and utility of POC diagnostics for maternal health in rural SA primary healthcare (PHC) clinics in order to generate a model framework of implementation of POC diagnostics in rural South African clinics. METHOD AND ANALYSES: We will use several research methods, including a systematic review, quasi-experiments, survey, key informant interviews and audits. We will conduct a systematic review and experimental study to determine the impact of POC diagnostics on maternal health. We will perform a cross-sectional case study of 100 randomly selected rural primary healthcare clinics in KwaZulu-Natal to measure the context and patterns of POC diagnostics access and usage by maternal health providers and patients. We will conduct interviews with relevant key stakeholders to determine the reasons for POC deficiencies regarding accessibility and utility of HIV-related POC diagnostics for maternal health. We will also conduct a vertical audit to investigate all the quality aspects of POC diagnostic services including diagnostic accuracy in a select number of clinics. On the basis of information gathered, we will propose a model framework for improved implementation of POC diagnostics in rural South African public healthcare clinics. Statistical (Stata-13) and thematic (NVIVO) data analysis will be used in this study. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (BE 484/14) and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health based on the Helsinki Declaration (HRKM 40/15). Findings of this study will be disseminated electronically and in print. They will be presented to conferences related to HIV/AIDS, diagnostics, maternal health and strengthening of health systems. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/Entities:
Keywords: Maternal health outcomes; Point-of-care diagnostics; Primary health care
Mesh:
Year: 2016 PMID: 27354074 PMCID: PMC4932288 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011155
Source DB: PubMed Journal: BMJ Open ISSN: 2044-6055 Impact factor: 2.692
Summary of the methodology
| Objectives | Hypothesis | Study design | Recruitment/sampling | Independent variable | Dependent variable | Analysis | Outcome measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To investigate the typology, supply chain of HIV-related and MH-related POC diagnostics | Improved accessibility of maternal health-related and HIV-related outcomes can improve effectiveness of maternal health services in rural PHCs | Cross-sectional | A total of 100 rural KZN PHC clinics using PPS, stratified into the following: 25 PHC clinics with high healthcare worker headcount; 25 PHC clinics with low healthcare worker headcount; 25 PHC clinics with high patient headcount; 25 PHC clinics with low patient headcount (list of PHC clinics will be obtained from the SA DHIS). | Coverage and usage of MH-related and HIV-related POCT: geographic location, district classification (NHI pilot site); access to tertiary healthcare | Number and percentage of POC diagnostics | Frequency distribution | Clinics with the highest and lowest POC tests availability in each of the 11 districts, clinic location, distance between the clinic and nearest town/city, distance between clinic and nearest referral hospital |
| Proportion of facilities that need HIV-related and MH-related POC diagnostics | Number of diagnostics used | Clinics with the highest and lowest POC tests need in each of the 11 KZN districts, list of HIV-related POC diagnostics in the clinic, list of HIV-related POC diagnostics needed in the clinic, laboratory test turnaround times | |||||
| Staff POC diagnostic knowledge and skill assessment | Knowledge of POCT used for diagnosis, monitoring and reduction of referrals | Clinic staff with the highest and lowest POC tests knowledge in each of the 11 KZN districts | |||||
| Health demand, availability, supply chain | Frequency of usage for HIV-related and MH-related POC diagnostics | List of HIV-related POC tests available in the clinic, most and least frequently used POCT in each of the 11 KZN districts, number of maternal health patients using the clinic, number of healthcare workers offering services in the clinics | |||||
| To investigate deficiencies and their causes in HIV-related and maternal health related POC diagnostics | Demonstrating the causes linked to poor accessibility of maternal health-related and HIV-related outcomes can help inform and guide implementers during scaling up of current POC services and adoption of new POC services | In-depth interviews | Healthcare workers from PHCs with low availability and usage of POC diagnostics; 11 public health officials from each (1 from each district) | Management; human resources; infrastructure; staff knowledge, skill and attitude; believes; stakeholder perception | Level of accessibility, availability and usage and of HIV and MH POCT for maternal health services | Thematic analysis | NA |
| To investigate the QMS emplaced to ensure reliability of the HIV-related and MH-related POC diagnostics in their current setting | Providing evidence on the reliability and sustainability of the QMS for PHC-based POCT can provide reassurance to implementers during scaling up of current POC services and adoption of new POC services | Vertical assessment/audit against SANAS ISO 15189:2012 and ISO 22870:2006 | Document review from PHCs with high availability and usage of POC diagnostics. | Infrastructure; QMS; operational time taken from results reporting to patient treatment for routine cases | Level of quality of service delivery | Correlation coefficient | Overall compliance with relevant ISO standards |
| Ease of use | User acceptability | Correlation coefficient | Overall compliance with relevant ISO standards | ||||
| Linkage to healthcare | Time from diagnosis to healthcare | Diagnostics turnaround times | Correlation coefficient | Overall compliance with relevant ISO standards | |||
| Efficacy test | Blood samples from maternal health patients who are receiving POC diagnostic services from PHCs with high quality of POC diagnostics service delivery. | Stability of the test under user conditions | Specificity; sensitivity; positive and negative likelihood ratios; PPV and NPV | 95% CIs and paired Z test to compare CIs of validation indices (sensitivity; specificity; NPV and PPV κ-statistic) between POC diagnostics results and laboratory results | Correlation between the laboratory and POCT results | ||
| The sample size at the required absolute precision level for sensitivity and specificity will be dependent on survey, vertical audit results and clinic size. It will can be calculated by Buderer's formula. | Reliability of the POCT results | Accuracy of results in comparison with gold standard (ELISA) | Correlation coefficient | Correlation between the laboratory and POCT results | |||
| To determine the impact of HIV-related and MH-related POC diagnostics on maternal mortality using quasi-experiment | Demonstrating the impact of HIV-related and MH-related POC tests on maternal mortality provides merit/worth for POC testing scale up in KZN maternal health clinics | Quasi-experimental, interrupted time series | DHIS data on MMR data from the PHC clinics with high quality of POC diagnostics service delivery. | Time aggregation: monthly level, facility level; facility-specific time of implementation of POC diagnostics (syphilis) will be used as a break point of in segmented regression | Change in maternal mortality rate | Segmented regression modelling | Reduction in maternal mortality post-POCT implementation. |
| To evaluate whether introduction POC diagnostics into algorithms for diagnosing maternal patients, reduces the maternal mortality rate in rural sub-Saharan Africa | Evidence from a systematic review (highest quality of evidence) indicating the impact of HIV-related POCT on maternal outcomes of HIV-infected mothers will show significance for POCT scale up in rural and resource-limited maternal health clinics | Systematic review and meta-analysis | Peer reviews literature fitting the inclusion and exclusion criteria | analysis of MMR data pre and post syphilis POC testing interventions | Improved maternal outcomes: maternal mortality; prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and | Meta-analysis | Studies reporting a significant improvement of maternal outcomes |
| To develop a model framework and recommendations for improved implementation of POC diagnostics on SA rural PHC clinics | Developing local evidence-based frameworks and guidelines can improve the effectiveness of the services | KZN province | NA | Evidence-based guidelines (based on the evidence obtained from the above objectives) | Improved implementation of POC diagnostic services for rural SA | NA | NA |
CIs, confidence intervals; DHIS, District Health Information System; KZN, KwaZulu-Natal; MMR, maternal mortality rate; NA, not applicable; NHI, National Health Insurance; NPV, negative predictive value; PHC, primary healthcare; POC, point-of-care; PPS, probability proportional to size; PPV, positive predictive value; QMS, quality management systems; SA, South Africa; SANAS, South African National Accreditation System.
Figure 1A theoretical framework underpinning this study, programme evaluation theory adapted to the local context. POC, point-of-care; STDs, sexually transmitted diseases; TB, tuberculosis.
Project sampling frame
| District code | District name | Sample number |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | Amajuba District Municipality | 6 |
| B2 | eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality | 7 |
| B3 | iLembe District Municipality | 7 |
| B4 | Harry Gwala District Municipality | 8 |
| B5 | Ugu District Municipality | 14 |
| B6 | uMgungundlovu District Municipality | 4 |
| B7 | uMkhanyakude District Municipality | 22 |
| B8 | uMzinyathi District Municipality | 5 |
| B9 | uThukela District Municipality | 6 |
| B10 | uThungulu District Municipality | 18 |
| B11 | Zululand District Municipality | 3 |
Study timeline
| Objectives | Data collection | Data entry and cleaning | Data analysis | Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective 1 | April to August 2015 | September 2015 to March 2016 | March 2016 to April 2016 | May 2016 |
| Objective 2 | October to December 2015 | January 2016 to March 2016 | April 2016 | July 2016 |
| Objective 3 | November to December 2015 | December 2015 to January 2016 | February to March 2016 | May 2016 |
| Objective 4 | April 2015 to April 2016 | May to June 2016 | July 2016 | September 2016 |
| Objective 5 | October 2015 | November 2015 | December 2015 to February 2016 | March 2016 |
| Objective 6 | May 2016 | June 2016 | July 2016 | October 2016 |