Standards-based audit to improve quality of maternal and newborn care-A stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial in Malawi.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Audit is a quality improvement approach used in maternal and newborn health. Our objective was to introduce the practice of standards-based audit at healthcare facility level, and to examine if this would improve quality of care assessed by compliance with standards developed and agreed with healthcare providers. Our focus was on emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC).

Methods

A multidimensional incomplete stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial with 8 steps was conducted in 44 healthcare facilities in Malawi. A total of 25 standards of care were developed. At each healthcare facility one (health centres) or two (hospitals) standards were audited per cycle with two consecutive audit cycles conducted. Each cycle consisted of five steps: (i) select standard to

SUBMITTER: White SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11441693 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature