In 2014 the World Health Organization developed a new integrated tool to assess the quality of care, designed to help the Ministry of Health (MoH), key stakeholders and partners in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) to carry out comprehensive assessments at facility level. The objectives, structure and methods differ from other global facility assessment tools currently in use in that it allows for an assessment of the quality of care provided, not just the quantity or availability.
The new fully integrated tool was used for the first time in Malawi in 2015, with 35 facilities assesses across five districts. It looked at four areas: infrastructure, maternal care, newborn care and paediatric care.
This study, published in BMC, reports on the practical feasibility of using the tool, its limitations and strengths. It presents the key findings of the assessment as well as recommendations for adaptation and implementation of the tool at scale.
