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Table 1 Items used in defining the structure and process indicators for quality in sick child services in Ethiopia. Ethiopian Service Provision Assessment Plus Survey 2014

From: Assessing the quality of care in sick child services at health facilities in Ethiopia

 

Definition

Variable type

Categorical

Continuous

STRUCTURE

 Routine management meetings

Whether there are monthly meeting to discuss management issues

Yes/No

 System to collect client opinion

Whether the facility has a system to obtain clients’ opinions regarding services

Yes/No

 Quality assurance system

Whether the facility has a routine quality assurance system

Yes/No

 Supervision

Whether the facility reported that the last supervision visit was in the last 6 months

Yes/No

 Basic amenities

Number of amenities at facility: water, electricity, generator, telephone, internet, ambulance

0–6

 Health workers always available

24 h staff availability

Yes/No

 Infection prevention precautions

Number of infection prevention measures at facility: sharps containers, gloves, disinfectant, disposable needles or autodestruct syringes with disposable syringes, waste bin, hand disinfectant

0–5

 Equipment available

Number of pieces of sick child equipment available at facility: Infant scale, child scale, thermometer, stethoscope, timer/watch or clock

0–5

 IMCI guide followed

Whether the facility always follows guide for integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) when assessing/treating sick child

Yes/No

 

Malaria diagnosis and treatment

Whether the facility always has malaria blood tests available for children under age 5

Yes/No

 

 IMCI mother’s card

Whether IMCI mother’s card are available at facility

Yes/No

 

PROCESS

 Number of symptoms checked

Number of symptoms that the provider asked for or that the caregiver mentioned: Cough or difficult breathing, diarrhea, fever or body hotness, ear problems, unable to drink or breastfeed, vomiting everything, convulsions

0–7

 Physical examination of sick child

Number of types of sick child exams performed: Took child’s temperature by thermometer, Felt the child for fever or body hotness, Counted respiration (breaths) for 60 s, Auscultated child (listen to chest with stethoscope) or count pulse, Checked skin turgor for dehydration (e.g., pinch abdominal skin), Checked for pallor by looking at palms, Checked for pallor by looking at conjunctiva, Looked into child’s mouth, Checked for neck stiffness, Looked in child’s ear, Felt behind child’s ear, Undressed child to examine (up to shoulders/down to ankles), Pressed both feet to check for edema, Weighed the child, Plotted weight on growth chart, Checked for enlarged lymph nodes in 2 or more of the following sites: neck, axillae, groin

0–16

 Information provided to caregiver

Number of pieces of information given to caregiver during consultation: provide general information about feeding/breastfeeding, advise extra fluids during this sickness, advise continued feeding during sickness, name the illness for the caretaker, describe symptoms requiring immediate return for care

0–5

 Provider used visual aids

Whether provided used visual aids during consultation

Yes/No

 Provider discussed follow-up visit

Whether the provider discussed follow-up visit during consultation

Yes/No