Advancing Client- Centered Care: Automating Audit Tools For Improved HIV Services’ Quality

The Ministry of Health (MoH) is determined to enhance the quality of services provided to People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and ensure that every individual receives decent care and support. To achieve this goal, the MoH has placed great emphasis on promoting a client-centered care approach.

As part of this initiative, the MoH recognizes the importance of client audit tools such as Children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV), Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), and Adult audit tools in assessing and evaluating services delivered to PLHIV. However, the current manual versions of these tools have posed challenges, resulting in a slower uptake than expected.

To overcome these challenges, the MoH has collaborated with RHITES- N-Acholi/ USAID UHA, METS, and SITES to automate these audit tools into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. This digitalization effort is in its final stages, with a nationwide rollout of the audit tool about to be implemented. The automation of these audit tools will streamline processes, improve efficiency, and facilitate better data management for improved client- centered care.

Despite the initial hurdles, some sites have demonstrated exceptional performance in implementing the audit tools effectively. Acknowledging the value of their experiences, a mini harvest meeting was organized to allow these sites to share their experiences. This knowledge sharing exercise aims to scale up best practices, reinforce PMTCT indicators, and encourage broader adoption of the audit tool during the national rollout.

During the harvest meetings, collaborative efforts were focused on developing change packages targeting two critical areas. Firstly, strategies were formulated to address maternal retesting of HIV- negative mothers at various stages, including Antenatal Care (ANC), Maternity, and Postnatal Care (PNC). This change package seeks to ensure comprehensive testing and support for mothers, prioritizing the health and well-being of both mothers and their children.

Secondly, a change package was designed to encompass the provision of all services related to Prevention of Mother-to- Child Transmission (PMTCT) and Comprehensive Adolescent and Adult HIV Care (CALHIV). This holistic approach aims to strengthen the quality of care and support offered to PLHIV, addressing their unique needs throughout their healthcare journey.

By automating audit tools and implementing the change packages developed through the mini harvest meeting, the MoH expects major improvements in PMTCT indicators and an overall enhancement of the client-centered care experience. These efforts mark a crucial step forward in achieving the MoH’s vision of providing high-quality HIV services to all PLHIV.