Integration of new digital antenatal care tools using the WHO SMART guideline approach: Experiences from Rwanda and Zambia.

OBJECTIVES: Digital tools for decision-support and health records can address the protracted process of guideline adoption at local levels and accelerate countries' implementation of new health policies and programmes. World Health Organization (WHO) launched the SMART Guidelines approach to support the uptake of clinical, public health, and data recommendations within digital systems. SMART guidelines are a package of tools that include Digital Adaptation Kits (DAKs), which distill WHO guidelines into a format that facilitates translation into digital systems. SMART Guidelines also include reference software applications known as digital modules. METHODS: This paper details the structured process to inform the adaptation of the WHO antenatal care (ANC) digital module to align with country-specific ANC packages for Zambia and Rwanda using the DAK. Digital landscape assessments were conducted to determine potential integrations between the ANC digital module and existing systems. A multi-stakeholder team consisting of Ministry of Health technical officers representing maternal health, HIV, digital health, and monitoring and evaluation at district and national levels was assembled to review existing guidelines to adapt the DAK. RESULTS: The landscape analysis resulted in considerations for integrating the ANC module into the broader digital ecosystems of both countries. Adaptations to the DAK included adding national services not reflected in the generic DAK and modification of decision support logic and indicators. Over 80% of the generic DAK content was consistent with processes for both countries. The adapted DAK will inform the customization of country-specific ANC digital modules. CONCLUSION: Both countries found that coordination between maternal and digital health leads was critical to ensuring requirements were accurately reflected within the ANC digital module. Additionally, DAKs provided a structured process for gathering requirements, reviewing and addressing gaps within existing systems, and aligning clinical content.

Impact of WHO guidelines on trends in HIV testing and ART initiation among children living with HIV in Zambia.

BACKGROUND: About 13 years since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for children living with HIV (CLHIV) in Zambia, HIV/AIDS testing and treatment guidelines for children have evolved over the years with limited documentation of long-term trends in the numbers testing HIV positive and initiating ART. We examined trends in HIV testing and ART initiation in Zambia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected patient level data from 496 health facilities across Zambia. We used Poisson regression to derive incident rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for background characteristics and used a Cuzick non-parametric test for trends to test the 13-year trends. Median time from testing to ART initiation in days and incidence rates were derived using life tables in survival analysis. We used multi-level random effects Poisson regression model to determine variations in time from HIV testing to ART initiation by facility. RESULTS: Overall, the cumulative proportion of the children who tested positive and initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART for HIV) from 2004 to 2017 was 69% (n = 99 592). During the period under review proportions of ART initiation increased from 52% in 2004-2006 to 97% in 2016-2017 (P < 0.001) and time from testing to ART initiation reduced from a median of 17 days IQR (1-161) in 2004 to one day IQR (1-14), P < 0.001 in 2016-2017. CLHIV were 15 times more likely to be initiated on ART in 2016-17 compared to period 2004-6 (IRR = 15.2, 95% CI 14.7-15.7). Time to ART initiation increased with age and was higher in rural health facilities compared to urban facilities. About 11% of the variability in time to ART initiation in children could be attributed to differences between facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The substantial increase in ART initiation and reduction in time to ART initiation among CLHIV identified in this study, reflects improvements in the paediatric HIV programme in Zambia in relation to health care delivery and adherence to national testing and treatment guidelines that were adapted from WHO guidelines. However, age-related differentials in rates of ART initiation suggests that urgent interventions are needed to sustain and further improve programme performance.

Strengths, pitfalls, and lessons learned in implementing electronic collection of childhood vaccination data in Zambia: The SmartCare experience.

BACKGROUND: Despite widespread interest in computerized vaccination information systems, evaluation of the data quality in these systems and their acceptability to frontline healthcare workers in low and middle-income countries aren't well addressed in the literature. OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of vaccination data quality and facility-level staff perspectives on the strengths and challenges of a vaccination data module in a widely used electronic health record (EHR) system in Zambia. METHODS: After a desk review of data from two provinces, a cross-sectional mixed methods study was designed, including quantitative analysis of data quality and qualitative analysis of the module's acceptability to facility staff, using the Information System Success model as the framework for evaluation of system quality, service quality, and information quality. Data were collected from 10 purposively sampled health facilities. RESULTS: There was low current use of the vaccination module by facilities in the study area (2%). Daily power outages presented a practical challenge. Staff who had used previous EHRs had concerns about sustainability. SYSTEM QUALITY: While the module was user-friendly, there were concerns about EHR compatibility with vaccination workflow and outreach settings, where vaccines are commonly administered to older children. SERVICE QUALITY: The module was viewed as dependable; perceptions were influenced by computer literacy. INFORMATION QUALITY: The database contained incomplete and incongruous data. Staff perceived data as accurate but incomplete; easy access to data was a strength. CONCLUSIONS: Potential benefits of the vaccination module were frequently unrealized due to infrastructure, workflow, and data flow challenges that resulted in low module use and poor information quality. Elements to optimize vaccination information system implementation could include robust engagement of facility-level staff in system design, system suitability to the vaccination setting and workflow, and comprehensive planning for data flow, sustainability, data monitoring and feedback. Adaptability to the outreach setting might be increasingly important as vaccination schedules extend past infancy.