New paper: A mapping and synthesis of tools for stakeholder and community engagement in quality improvement initiatives for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health , published in Health Expectations (April, 2021) by Spencer, Gilmore, Lodenstein & Portela)
Stakeholder and community engagement promotes collaboration and gives service users an opportunity to actively participate in the care they receive. Recognizing this potential, The Network for Improving Quality of Care for maternal, newborn and child health aimed to identify tools and operational guidance to integrate stakeholder and community engagement into quality improvement (QI) implementation.
A mapping, consisting of a literature review and an open call through email and listservers, for implementation tools was conducted. Materials were included if they provided guidance on stakeholder and community engagement aligned to the Network's QI framework comprising seven phases.
The quantity of tools and their varied characteristics including types of stakeholder and community engagement processes across the QI framework confirms that engagement cannot be captured in a ‘one‐size‐fits‐all’ formula. Many tools were designed with a generic focus to allow for adaption and use in different settings and sectors. Country programmes looking to strengthen engagement approaches can take advantage of available tools through an online portal on the WHO website and adapt them to meet their specific needs and context.
Included tools are available through an online portal on the WHO website (available at: https://www.who.int/activities/tools‐to‐support‐the‐integration‐of‐stakeholder‐and‐community‐engagement‐in‐quality‐of‐care‐initiatives‐for‐maternal‐newborn‐and‐child‐health).