Table 1 Description of study variables. Description of main study variables and the methods used to collect them
Variable | Description |
|---|---|
Service availability | |
 Service availability at the facility | Reported to provide diagnosis or treatment services for hypertensives and DM patients |
 Service provision to the surrounding catchment area | Percent of facilities reported visiting lower level health facilities or community within a catchment area of a respective health facility to provide DM and hypertension services |
 Trained personnel | Refresher training on managing hypertension and DM conducted within two years |
 Treatment guidelines | Reported adherence to treatment guidelines for management of hypertension and DM |
 Basic equipment | Observed functioning sphygmomanometer, stethoscope and Glucometer, weigh machine and height rod |
 Laboratory capacity | Availability of urine dipstick, creatinine, and cholesterol analysis |
 Medicine availability | Availability of at least one of the unexpired first line medicine for both hypertension and DM. For Hypertension: Bendroflumethiazide, Hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone. For DM: Metformin & Glibenclamide |
 Health management information system० | Observed registers for routine data collection, reported analysis and local use of data for planning |
Health Care workers (HCWs) | |
 Experience | HCWs attending ≥5 in three months was considered experienced |
 Confidence | Reported comfortable when managing hypertensive and DM patients |
 Practice on advice | HCWs’ reported to regularly advise hypertensives and DM patients on, dietary approaches to control these diseases, abandoning tobacco use, maintaining appropriate weight, exercising, and performing key investigations: performing tests to determine kidney function, cholesterol and chest x-ray or Echocardiogram |