Evaluation of a call center to assess post-discharge maternal and early neonatal outcomes of facility-based childbirth in Uttar Pradesh, India

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 27;13(11):e0207987. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207987. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Background: Maternal and neonatal outcomes in the immediate post-delivery period are critical indicators of quality of care. Data on childbirth outcomes in low-income settings usually require home visits, which can be constrained by cost and access. We report on the use of a call center to measure post-discharge outcomes within a multi-site improvement study of facility-based childbirth in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Methods: Of women delivering at study sites eligible for inclusion, 97.9% (n = 157,689) consented to follow-up. All consenting women delivering at study facilities were eligible to receive a phone call between days eight and 42 post-partum to obtain outcomes for the seven-day period after birth. Women unable to be contacted via phone were visited at home. Outcomes, including maternal and early neonatal mortality and maternal morbidity, were ascertained using a standardized script developed from validated survey questions. Data Quality Assurance (DQA) included accuracy (double coding of calls) and validity (consistency between two calls to the same household). Regression models were used to identify factors associated with inconsistency.

Findings: Over 23 months, outcomes were obtained by the call center for 98.0% (154,494/157,689) consenting women and their neonates. 87.9% of call center-obtained outcomes were captured by phone call alone and 12.1% required the assistance of a field worker. An additional 1.7% were obtained only by a field worker, 0.3% were lost-to-follow-up, and only 0.1% retracted consent. The call center captured outcomes with a median of 1 call (IQR 1-2). DQA found 98.0% accuracy; data validation demonstrated 93.7% consistency between the first and second call. In a regression model, significant predictors of inconsistency included cases with adverse outcomes (p<0.001), and different respondents on the first and validation call (p<0.001).

Conclusions: In areas with widespread mobile cell phone access and coverage, a call center is a viable and efficient approach for measurement of post-discharge childbirth outcomes.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Call Centers*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • India
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Parturition
  • Patient Discharge
  • Patient Reported Outcome Measures*
  • Postnatal Care
  • Postpartum Period*
  • Program Evaluation*
  • Quality Improvement
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spouses

Grants and funding

This study is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Ref no: OPP1017378) to grant recipient Dr. Atul Gawande. The funding organization did not have input on data collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data. Further, they did not have any authority over the writing of the reports or decision to submit findings for publication.