Assessment of Quality Care of Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition Services in Accra Metropolitan Area_2016

Abstract

Background: Quality of care in health care delivery has been linked to improved desired health outcomes. This means that the delivery of community based interventions like the community-based management of acute malnutrition put in place to address severe acute malnutrition, which contributes to morbidity and mortality in under-fives, should be of quality. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the quality of care of community-based management of acute malnutrition outpatient care service provision in the Accra Metropolitan area. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The study employed mixed methods to assess the quality of community-based management of acute malnutrition services in the Accra Metropolitan area. Quantitative methods involved retrospective review of records of children who accessed community-based management of acute malnutrition services from 2013 to 2015. A checklist was used to assess availability of human resources, equipment, and supervision of staff, among others. Qualitative methods (focus group discussions) were also used to explore mothers / caretakers of severe acute malnutrition children‟s perception of quality of care of the community-based management of acute malnutrition services. Quantitative data was analysed using STATA version 13 to estimate the proportion of children who recovered. Logistic regression was used to identify significance of relationships between the dependent and independent variables. The qualitative data was analysed using the thematic framework approach. The quality of care was determined by recovery rate and client satisfaction. Results / Findings: Results from the quantitative analysis revealed a recovery rate of 62.0%, which was below the acceptable sphere standard (>75.0%), but above what is considered alarming (50.0%) as suggested by the World Health Organisation. The qualitative findings from this study however, revealed that clients perceived the quality of community-based management of acute malnutrition service as good as they were satisfied with the service delivery. Conclusion: Overall, quality of community-based management of acute malnutrition services was considered sub-optimal based on the International Sphere standard for recovery rate.