256669 Mystery shopping: A quality assurance tool for health clinics in Bangladesh

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM

Arefin Islam, MD , Bangladesh Smiling Sun Franchise Program, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Shamin Talukder, MD , Eminence, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Akhter Hamid, MD , Eminence, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
MA Sabur, MD , Eminence, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Sifat Jerin Binte Mujib , Eminence, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Dina Farhana , Eminence, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
M. Shariffuzzman, MD , Eminence, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Sohana Samrin Chowdhury , Eminence, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Olivia Helprin , Chemonics International, Washington
     
The Smiling Sun Franchise Program (SSFP) has introduced a franchise business model to 26 local NGOs that operate 353 clinics and 8,819 satellite clinics in all 64 districts of Bangladesh. The model assists them to provide standardized, high-quality, affordable, and sustainable reproductive health and primary care services. This presentation discusses the determination of baseline clinical quality indicators as an integral step in implementing a quality assurance model. “Mystery shoppers,” or pseudo-patients, are used in medical settings to detect and correct deficiencies in the delivery of services, leading to positive changes such as reduced wait times, increased retention of patients, better explanations of procedures and treatments, and improved encounters with providers and staff. The increased focus on customer-directed care has expanded the use of mystery shopping as a tool in health care service delivery systems, and this study highlights the successful application of the methodology in the developing country context.

SSFP conducted mystery shopping to establish a baseline quality measurement of clinical services. The cross-sectional study, conducted in rural and urban areas, covered 54 upazilas (sub-districts) in 26 districts from all six major regional divisions and used both qualitative and quantitative methods, utilizing key informant interviews, process observation, exit interviews, and focus groups.

The presenters will discuss the development of the methodology, results, and actions taken to engage clinic staff in quality monitoring and local-level problem solving, as well as the steps taken to ensure that this quality monitoring system is institutionalized in NGO management structures.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Ethics, professional and legal requirements
Program planning
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
1.Discuss methodology for conducting a large-scale mystery shopping exercise for healthcare consumers. 2.Describe ways to engage NGO staff and local-level clinic staff in the quality assurance process and in corrective actions. 3.Evaluate the effectiveness of mystery shopping for baseline clinical quality measures in the developing country context.

Keywords: Developing Countries, Quality Assurance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a medical doctor with 4 years of experience on the Bangladesh Smiling Sun Franchise Program in Bangladesh. I have extensive experience on the provision of maternal and primary health services in the developing country context.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5137.0: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Quality Improvement