Evaluation of a quality improvement cycle intervention in the provision of PMTCT at a regional hospital

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The vast majority of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections in infants and young children occur through mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT), either during pregnancy, labour or delivery or by breastfeeding. Without access to perinatal MTCT (PMTCT) programmes approximately 30% of all babies born annually will be infected with HIV.OBJECTIVESThe aim was to implement and audit a quality improvement cycle at the Worcester Obstetric Unit, which comprises of Worcester Hospital, a regional hospital in the Western Cape Province and its level one midwife obstetric Unit (MOU), in order to improve the quality of the PMTCT programme. The intervention included the implementation of easy changes and tools in the Antenatal Clinic, Infectious Diseases Clinic and Labour ward.METHODSThe files and antenatal records of all HIV positive patients and patients with an unknown HIV status, who delivered at the Worcester Obstetric Unit during January, February and March of 2010 and 2011, were reviewed. All HIV negative patients and patients that had stillbirths and miscarriages were excluded. The pre-interventional findings of 2010 were compared with the post-interventional findings of 2011.RESULTSAt the Worcester Obstetric Unit, for the study time period, there were 907 deliveries in 2010, of which 102 (11.2%) patients were HIV positive and 4 (0.4%) had an unknown HIV status compared to 2011, with 865 deliveries of which 108(12.5%) patients were HIV positive and no patients had an unknown HIV status. Significantly more patients were diagnosed with HIV before they fell pregnant than during pregnancy in the 2011 group, when compared with the 2010 group. A CD4 count was done on 94% of patients who were newly diagnosed with HIV and those with an unknown CD4 count result in the 2010 group, compared to 92% in 2011. There was a significant improvement after the intervention in the time it took from when blood was drawn for a CD4 count until the result was followed up, the median time decreased from 34 to 8 days (p=0.000001). Significantly more patients qualified for highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) after the guidelines were changed and the CD4 cut off was increased to 350 cells/l (p=0.001). Prior the intervention 18 patients did not receive the correct management before delivery due to preventable reasons, compared to one at the MOU. After the intervention this decreased significantly to only one patient at Worcester Hospital and none at the MOU (p=0.000001). Before the intervention adherence to the PMTCT protocol at the MOU was significantly better than at the hospital (p=0.0005) and after the intervention there was no significant difference (p=1.0).CONCLUSIONAlthough the audit and quality improvement cycle was performed at a single hospital, with specific changes geared towards their needs, the basic principles can be applied to any Unit in the country providing a PMTCT service. Educating staff, creating awareness and reminding staff of the basic principles of PMTCT, implementing small changes and streamlining processes and setting specific goals or timelines, can lead to significant improvements in care, which ultimately will lead to a decrease in PMTCT of HIV and HIV related maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University