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Published May 24, 2021 | Version v1.0.0
Masters Thesis Open

Understand success and challenges in adaptation and implementation of Quality Improvement Collaboratives to help End the HIV Epidemic in Namibia and Zimbabwe

Abstract

Background: Improving HIV health care quality remains an unfulfilled goal necessary to both reduce mortality for people living with HIV and reach epidemic control. Although a common strategy, improvement collaboratives (ICs) are variably effective in improving quality and better understanding of their implementation and adaptation to local contexts is needed. We applied implementation science methods to study how Ministry of health-led ICs supported by UCSF-HEALTHQUAL were implemented in Namibia and Zimbabwe to support and accelerate improvement in the HIV care cascade including rapid uptake of ART and viral load suppression. Methods: We applied two implementation research frameworks, EPIS [Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment] and CFIR [Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research] to guide data collection and analysis for a retrospective mixed methods case study of the ICs. We conducted nine key informant interviews, field observations, and document review to identified implementation strategies contextual factors and implementation outcomes. Results were synthesized using content analysis and organized by EPIS stage. Results: Many implementation strategies for both countries were similar across the exploration, preparation and implementation stages, including alignment with national priorities and guidelines, leveraging existing relationships with stakeholders, QI capacity-building, and adaptations of IC components and data collection tools. Important contextual factors of both ICs were: national leadership, donor funding and country resources, baseline national and local QI knowledge, capacity and culture, existing implementation partnerships, data system integrity, and geography. All sites in both countries completed QI projects. Active peer-to-peer learning occurred; and improvement was demonstrated in many of the targeted measures. Implementation challenges encountered included data validity and quality, finite resources and staff turnover. Limited information was available for sustainment improvement, but both countries have scaled ICs, indicating longer term capacity in QI. Conclusions: Successful implementation of ICs involved adaptation to local context and other strategies which leveraged facilitating factors and addressed barriers with strong adoption and fidelity. Other key lessons included early stakeholder engagement, national leadership engagement, alignment with national priorities, and attention to developing QI capacity. These results can inform future efforts to accelerate improvement of HIV care and treatment through ICs in the region and improving quality more broadly.

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Additional details

Created:
March 31, 2023
Modified:
March 31, 2023