Health Topics
- The Net Promoter Score (NPS) for Insight Into Client Experiences in Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinics
The NPS measures a customer's likeliness to recommend a company to a friend or colleague on a 0-to-10 scale. Pilot testing in 4 countries suggests the NPS can also be successfully used in nonprofit clinics and among low-literacy populations. Combining the NPS with client demographic and service-use data can provide a powerful tool for identifying populations for whom the client experience can be improved.
- Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Introduction in South Africa: Implementation Lessons From an Evaluation of the National School-Based Vaccination Campaign
Evaluation of the campaign confirmed its feasibility in this setting: it achieved high coverage, few adverse events, and mostly positive media coverage. However, challenges occurred in data and cold chain management. Future implementation requires improved partnerships between government ministries, simplified informed consent, and closer monitoring of social media messaging.
- Client Perceptions of Quality and Choice at Static, Mobile Outreach, and Special Family Planning Day Services in 3 African Countries
In all 3 countries, nearly all women obtained their method of choice, with more mobile outreach and special family planning day clients having a preexisting preference for implants than static service clients. Clients of all service modalities in all countries reported experiencing most elements of full, free, and informed choice, but there is room for improvement with some aspects, such as counseling about potential side effects and giving clients the opportunity to ask questions.
- Quality and Cost Interventions During the Extended Perinatal Period to Increase Family Planning Use in Kinshasa, DRC: Results From an Initial Study
The combined intervention of free contraceptives plus a set of quality inputs for family planning during the extended perinatal period, including provision of long-acting methods immediately postpartum, had the strongest effect on use of modern contraceptives, especially long-acting methods.
- Assessment of Family Planning Service Availability and Readiness in 10 African Countries
In the 10 countries surveyed, the availability of oral contraceptives, injectables, and condoms varied greatly, and the availability of basic items indicating service readiness, such as guidelines, trained staff, equipment, and certain commodities, was low.
- Role of Religious Leaders in Promoting Contraceptive Use in Nigeria: Evidence From the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative
Exposure to family planning messages from religious leaders was significantly associated with higher modern contraceptive use, after accounting for background characteristics and other variables such as myths and misconceptions. Engaging religious leaders to support positive social norms is an important strategy to improving voluntary contraceptive use in Nigeria.
- Helping Babies Breathe, Second Edition: A Model for Strengthening Educational Programs to Increase Global Newborn Survival
The revised neonatal resuscitation curriculum updates not only the science of resuscitation but also the educational and implementation approaches needed to further enhance neonatal survival, including promoting ongoing practice to retain skills and linkages with quality improvement initiatives.
- Use of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference by Novel Community Platforms to Detect, Diagnose, and Treat Severe Acute Malnutrition in Children: A Systematic Review
Limited studies suggest that with robust program inputs caregivers and CHWs can correctly use mid-upper arm circumference to detect severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and that properly trained and supported CHWs can treat uncomplicated SAM in communities.
- Childbirth and Early Newborn Care Practices in 4 Provinces in China: A Comparison With WHO Recommendations
In the 10 hospitals studied, we found that hospital policies, protocols, and interventions only partially align with WHO early newborn care recommendations, and that many hospitals still use outdated and non-medically sound practices.
- Adaptation of the Training Resource Package to Strengthen Preservice Family Planning Training for Nurses and Midwives in Tanzania and Uganda
Lessons learned when adapting the evidence-based global family planning training resource package included the need to: (1) engage key nursing and midwifery educators for buy-in; (2) update the technical skills of educators in contraceptive technology and competency-based training methods; and (3) adapt to the local context including condensing the global content for the time-limited preservice education context.