Implementation outcomes of national decentralization of integrated outpatient services for severe non-communicable diseases to district hospitals in Rwanda.

OBJECTIVES: Effective coverage of non-communicable disease (NCD) care in sub-Saharan Africa remains low, with the majority of services still largely restricted to central referral centres. Between 2015 and 2017, the Rwandan Ministry of Health implemented a strategy to decentralise outpatient care for severe chronic NCDs, including type 1 diabetes, heart failure and severe hypertension, to rural first-level hospitals. This study describes the facility-level implementation outcomes of this strategy. METHODS: In 2014, the Ministry of Health trained two nurses in each of the country's 42 first-level hospitals to implement and deliver nurse-led, integrated, outpatient NCD clinics, which focused on severe NCDs. Post-intervention evaluation occurred via repeated cross-sectional surveys, informal interviews and routinely collected clinical data over two rounds of visits in 2015 and 2017. Implementation outcomes included fidelity, feasibility and penetration. RESULTS: By 2017, all NCD clinics were staffed by at least one NCD-trained nurse. Among the approximately 27 000 nationally enrolled patients, hypertension was the most common diagnosis (70%), followed by type 2 diabetes (19%), chronic respiratory disease (5%), type 1 diabetes (4%) and heart failure (2%). With the exception of warfarin and beta-blockers, national essential medicines were available at more than 70% of facilities. Clinicians adhered to clinical protocols at approximately 70% agreement with evaluators. CONCLUSION: The government of Rwanda was able to scale a nurse-led outpatient NCD programme to all first-level hospitals with good fidelity, feasibility and penetration as to expand access to care for severe NCDs.

Understanding the Etiology of Heart Failure Among the Rural Poor in Sub-Saharan Africa: A 10-Year Experience From District Hospitals in Rwanda.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Our understanding of the heart failure burden in this region has been limited mainly to registries from urban referral centers. Starting in 2006, a nurse-driven strategy was initiated to provide echocardiography and decentralized heart failure care within noncommunicable disease (NCD) clinics in rural district hospitals in Rwanda. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with cardiologist-confirmed heart failure treated at 3 district hospital NCD clinics in Rwanda from 2006 to 2017 to determine patient clinical characteristics and disease distribution. Over 10 years, 719 patients with confirmed heart failure were identified. Median age was 27 years overall, and 42 years in adults. Thirty-six percent were children (age <18 years), 68% were female, and 78% of adults were farmers. At entry, 39% were in New York Heart Association functional class III-IV. Among children, congenital heart disease (52%) and rheumatic heart disease (36%) were most common. In adults, cardiomyopathy (40%), rheumatic heart disease (27%), and hypertensive heart disease (13%) were most common. No patients were diagnosed with ischemic cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the largest single-country heart failure cohort from rural sub-Saharan Africa demonstrate a persistent burden of rheumatic disease and nonischemic cardiomyopathies.

Benign and Malignant Breast Disease at Rwanda's First Public Cancer Referral Center.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer incidence is rising in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the distribution of breast disease seen in clinical practice in such settings can guide early detection efforts and clinical algorithms, as well as support future monitoring of cancer detection rates and stage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective medical record review of 353 patients who presented to Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in Rwanda with an undiagnosed breast concern during the first 18 months of the cancer program. RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of patients presented with a breast mass. Of these, 55% were diagnosed with breast cancer and 36% were diagnosed with benign disease. Cancer rates were highest among women 50 years and older. Among all patients diagnosed with breast cancer, 20% had stage I or II disease at diagnosis, 46% had locally advanced (stage III) disease, and 31% had metastatic disease. CONCLUSION: After the launch of Rwanda's first public cancer referral center and breast clinic, cancer detection rates were high among patients presenting with an undiagnosed breast concern. These findings will provide initial data to allow monitoring of changes in the distribution of benign and malignant disease and of cancer stage as cancer awareness and services expand nationally. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The numbers of cases and deaths from breast cancer are rising in low-income countries. In many of these settings, health care systems to address breast problems and efficiently refer patients with symptoms concerning for cancer are rudimentary. Understanding the distribution of breast disease seen in such settings can guide early detection efforts and clinical algorithms. This study describes the characteristics of patients who came with a breast concern to Rwanda's first public cancer referral center during its first 18 months. More than half of patients with a breast mass were diagnosed with cancer; most had late-stage disease. Monitoring changes in the types of breast disease and cancer stages seen in Rwanda will be critical as breast cancer awareness and services grow.

Delays in Breast Cancer Presentation and Diagnosis at Two Rural Cancer Referral Centers in Rwanda.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer incidence is increasing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Mortality/incidence ratios in LMICs are higher than in high-income countries, likely at least in part because of delayed diagnoses leading to advanced-stage presentations. In the present study, we investigated the magnitude, impact of, and risk factors for, patient and system delays in breast cancer diagnosis in Rwanda. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We interviewed patients with breast complaints at two rural Rwandan hospitals providing cancer care and reviewed their medical records to determine the diagnosis, diagnosis date, and breast cancer stage. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients were included in our analysis. Median total delay was 15 months, and median patient and system delays were both 5 months. In multivariate analyses, patient and system delays of ≥6 months were significantly associated with more advanced-stage disease. Adjusting for other social, demographic, and clinical characteristics, a low level of education and seeing a traditional healer first were significantly associated with a longer patient delay. Having made ≥5 health facility visits before the diagnosis was significantly associated with a longer system delay. However, being from the same district as one of the two hospitals was associated with a decreased likelihood of system delay. CONCLUSION: Patients with breast cancer in Rwanda experience long patient and system delays before diagnosis; these delays increase the likelihood of more advanced-stage presentations. Educating communities and healthcare providers about breast cancer and facilitating expedited referrals could potentially reduce delays and hence mortality from breast cancer in Rwanda and similar settings. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Breast cancer rates are increasing in low- and middle-income countries, and case fatality rates are high, in part because of delayed diagnosis and treatment. This study examined the delays experienced by patients with breast cancer at two rural Rwandan cancer facilities. Both patient delays (the interval between symptom development and the patient's first presentation to a healthcare provider) and system delays (the interval between the first presentation and diagnosis) were long. The total delays were the longest reported in published studies. Longer delays were associated with more advanced-stage disease. These findings suggest that an opportunity exists to reduce breast cancer mortality in Rwanda by addressing barriers in the community and healthcare system to promote earlier detection.

Postoperative Rheumatic Heart Disease Follow-Up: Creating a National Registry and First Results from Rwanda.

Background: In many developing countries, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is diagnosed at an advanced stage and requires surgery for patient survival. However, access to cardiac surgery in this context is limited and often provided through partnerships, requiring centralized patient data systems for monitoring and follow-up. Objectives: This study used data from a national postoperative RHD registry to analyze clinical outcomes of Rwandan patients who received surgery between 2006 and 2017. Methods: The RHD registry was created in 2017 using data compiled from Rwanda Ministry of Health and RHD surgery partners. We extracted pre- and post-operative data on patients who were alive and in care. We excluded patients who died or were lost to follow-up, as their data was not collected in the registry. We evaluated the association between demographic, surgical, and follow-up characteristics and most recent patient symptoms, categorized by New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Findings: Among the 191 patients eligible for inclusion in this study, 107(56.0%) were female, 110(57.6%) were adults at the time of surgery (>15 years), and 128(67.4%) had surgery in Rwanda. Most patients (n = 166, 86.9%) were on penicillin prophylaxis. Of the patients with mechanical valves, 47(29.9%) had therapeutic International Normalized Ratio values. 90% of patients were asymptomatic (NYHA I) at the time of most recent visit. NYHA class was not significantly associated with any of the considered variables. The median length of follow-up for patients was four years (IQR: 2, 5 years). Conclusion: This study shows both the feasibility and challenges of creating a RHD registry 11 years after the national initiation of RHD surgeries. Most patients captured in the registry are asymptomatic; however, collecting details on patients who had died or were lost to follow-up has proven difficult. Implementing strategies to maintain a complete and up-to-date registry will facilitate follow-up for pre- and postoperative patients.

Cost of integrated chronic care for severe non-communicable diseases at district hospitals in rural Rwanda.

BACKGROUND: Integrated clinical strategies to address non-communicable disease (NCDs) in sub-Saharan Africa have largely been directed to prevention and treatment of common conditions at primary health centres. This study examines the cost of organising integrated nurse-driven, physician-supervised chronic care for more severe NCDs at an outpatient specialty clinic associated with a district hospital in rural Rwanda. Conditions addressed included type 1 and type 2 diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, heart failure and rheumatic heart disease. METHODS: A retrospective costing analysis was conducted from the facility perspective using data from administrative sources and the electronic medical record systems of Butaro District Hospital in rural Rwanda. We determined initial start-up and annual operating financial cost of the Butaro district advanced NCD clinic for the fiscal year 2013-2014. Per-patient annual cost by disease category was determined. RESULTS: A total of US$47 976 in fixed start-up costs was necessary to establish a new advanced NCD clinic serving a population of approximately 300 000 people (US$0.16 per capita). The additional annual operating cost for this clinic was US$68 975 (US$0.23 per capita) to manage a 632-patient cohort and provide training, supervision and mentorship to primary health centres. Labour comprised 54% of total cost, followed by medications at 17%. Diabetes mellitus had the highest annual cost per patient (US$151), followed by heart failure (US$104), driven primarily by medication therapy and laboratory testing. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to evaluate the costs of integrated, decentralised chronic care for some severe NCDs in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The findings show that these services may be affordable to governments even in the most constrained health systems.

Outcomes for patients with rheumatic heart disease after cardiac surgery followed at rural district hospitals in Rwanda.

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, continued clinical follow-up, after cardiac surgery, is only available at urban referral centres. We implemented a decentralised, integrated care model to provide longitudinal care for patients with advanced rheumatic heart disease (RHD) at district hospitals in rural Rwanda before and after heart surgery. METHODS: We collected data from charts at non-communicable disease (NCD) clinics at three rural district hospitals in Rwanda to describe the outcomes of 54 patients with RHD who received cardiac valve surgery during 2007-2015. RESULTS: The majority of patients were adults (46/54; 85%), and 74% were females. The median age at the time of surgery was 22 years in adults and 11 years in children. Advanced symptoms-New York Heart Association class III or IV-were present in 83% before surgery and only 4% afterwards. The mitral valve was the most common valve requiring surgery. Valvular surgery consisted mostly of a single valve (56%) and double valve (41%). Patients were followed for a median of 3 years (range 0.2-7.9) during which 7.4% of them died; all deaths were patients who had undergone bioprosthetic valve replacement. For patients with mechanical valves, anticoagulation was checked at 96% of visits. There were no known bleeding or thrombotic events requiring hospitalisation. CONCLUSION: Outcomes of postoperative patients with RHD tracked in rural Rwanda health facilities were generally good. With appropriate training and supervision, it is feasible to safely decentralise follow-up of patients with RHD to nurse-led specialised NCD clinics after cardiac surgery.

A Clinical Mentorship and Quality Improvement Program to Support Health Center Nurses Manage Type 2 Diabetes in Rural Rwanda.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is rapidly rising in SSA. Interventions are needed to support the decentralization of services to improve and expand access to care. We describe a clinical mentorship and quality improvement program that connected nurse mentors with nurse mentees to support the decentralization of type 2 diabetes care in rural Rwanda. METHODS: This is a descriptive study. Routinely collected data from patients with type 2 diabetes cared for at rural health center NCD clinics between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015, were extracted from EMR system. Data collected as part of the clinical mentorship program were extracted from an electronic database. Summary statistics are reported. RESULTS: The patient population reflects the rural settings, with low rates of traditional NCD risk factors: 5.6% of patients were current smokers, 11.0% were current consumers of alcohol, and 11.9% were obese. Of 263 observed nurse mentee-patient encounters, mentor and mentee agreed on diagnosis 94.4% of the time. Similarly, agreement levels were high for medication, laboratory exam, and follow-up plans, at 86.3%, 87.1%, and 92.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Nurses that receive mentorship can adhere to a type 2 diabetes treatment protocol in rural Rwanda primary health care settings.

A simplified echocardiographic strategy for heart failure diagnosis and management within an integrated noncommunicable disease clinic at district hospital level for sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to describe a decentralized strategy for heart failure diagnosis and management and report the clinical epidemiology at district hospitals in rural Rwanda. BACKGROUND: Heart failure contributes significantly to noncommunicable disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Specialized care is provided primarily at referral hospitals by physicians, limiting patients' access. Simplifying clinical strategies can facilitate decentralization of quality care to the district hospital level and improve care delivery. METHODS: Heart failure services were established within integrated advanced noncommunicable disease clinics in 2 rural district hospitals in Rwanda. Nurses, supervised by physicians, were trained to use simplified diagnostic and treatment algorithms including echocardiography with diagnoses confirmed by a cardiologist. Data on 192 heart failure patients treated between November 2006 and March 2011 were reviewed from an electronic medical record. RESULTS: In our study population, the median age was 35 years, 70% were women, 63% were subsistence farmers, and 6% smoked tobacco. At entry, 47% had New York Heart Association class III or IV functional status. Of children age <18 years (n = 54), rheumatic heart disease (48%), congenital heart disease (39%), and dilated cardiomyopathy (9%) were the leading diagnoses. Among adults (n = 138), dilated cardiomyopathy (54%), rheumatic heart disease (25%), and hypertensive heart disease (8%) were most common. During follow-up, 62% were retained in care, whereas 9% died and 29% were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In rural Rwanda, the causes of heart failure are almost exclusively nonischemic even though patients often present with advanced symptoms. Training nurses, supervised by physicians, in simplified protocols and basic echocardiography is 1 approach to integrated, decentralized care for this vulnerable population.