Measuring implementation progress in kangaroo mother care.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development and testing of a monitoring model with quantitative indicators or progress markers that could measure the progress of individual hospitals in the implementation of kangaroo mother care (KMC).


METHODS
Three qualitative data sets in the larger research programme on the implementation of KMC of the MRC Research Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies in South Africa were used to develop a progress-monitoring model and an accompanying instrument.


RESULTS
The model was conceptualized around three phases (pre-implementation, implementation and institutionalization) and six constructs depicting progress (awareness, adopting the concept, mobilization of resources, evidence of practice, evidence of routine and integration, sustainable practice). For each construct, indicators were developed for which data could be collected by means of the monitoring instrument used in a walk-through visit to a hospital. The instrument has been tested in 65 hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
The progress-monitoring model enables the quantification of individual hospitals' progress in the process of implementing KMC and an objective measurement of the effectiveness of different outreach strategies. The model also has potential to be adapted for measuring progress in other innovative healthcare interventions on a large scale.
Bergh
Anne-Marie
AM
MRC Research Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. apbergh@medic.up.ac.za
Arsalo
Irmeli
I
Malan
Atties F
AF
Patrick
Mark
M
Pattinson
Robert C
RC
Phillips
Noel
N
D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013019:South Africa