Developing and validating an abortion care quality metric for facility and out-of-facility settings: an observational cohort study in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

Background: Despite progress in assuring provision of safe abortion, substantial disparities remain in quality of abortion care around the world. However, no consistent, valid, reliable method exists to routinely measure quality in abortion care across facility and out-of-facility settings, impeding learning and improvement. To address this need, the Abortion Service Quality Initiative developed the first global standard for measuring quality of abortion care in low-income and middle-income countries.

Exploring and Monitoring Privacy, Confidentiality, and Provider Bias in Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Provision to Young People: A Narrative Review.

Purpose: Poor privacy and confidentiality practices and provider bias are believed to compromise adolescent and young adult sexual and reproductive health service quality. The results of focus group discussions with global youth leaders and sexual and reproductive health implementing organizations indicated that poor privacy and confidentiality practices and provider bias serve as key barriers to care access for the youth.

Methods: A narrative review was conducted to describe how poor privacy and confidentiality practices and provider bias impose barriers on young people seeking sexual and reproductive health services and to examine how point of service evaluations have assessed these factors.

Translating international guidelines for use in routine maternal and neonatal healthcare quality measurement.

Background: Improving facility-based quality for maternal and neonatal care is the key to reducing morbidity and mortality rates in low- and middle-income countries. Recent guidance from WHO and others has produced a large number of indicators to choose from to track quality.

Objective: To explore how to translate complex global maternal and neonatal health standards into actionable application at the facility level.

Use of family planning and child health services in the private sector: an equity analysis of 12 DHS surveys.

Background: A key component of universal health coverage is the ability to access quality healthcare without financial hardship. Poorer individuals are less likely to receive care than wealthier individuals, leading to important differences in health outcomes, and a needed focus on equity. To improve access to healthcare while minimizing financial hardships or inequitable service delivery we need to understand where individuals of different wealth seek care.

Review of quality assessment tools for family planning programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

Measuring and tracking the quality of healthcare is a critical part of improving service delivery, clinic efficiency and health outcomes. However, no standardized or widely accepted tool exists to assess the quality of clinic-based family planning services in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this literature review was to identify widely used public domain quality assessment tools with existing or potential application in clinic-based family planning programmes.