Facility assessment and qualitative analysis of health worker perspectives on neonatal health in Malawi

BMC Res Notes. 2021 Jul 12;14(1):267. doi: 10.1186/s13104-021-05679-5.

Abstract

Objectives: The "Integrating a neonatal healthcare package for Malawi" (IMCHA#108030) project conducted mixed-methods to understand facility-based implementation factors for newborn health innovations in low-resourced health settings. The objective of the two datasets was to evaluate: (a) capacity of quality newborn care in three districts in southern Malawi, and (b) barriers and facilitators the scale up of bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a newborn health innovation to support babies with respiratory distress.

Data description: The Integrated Maternal, Neonatal and Child Quality of Care Assessment and Improvement Tool (version April-2014) is a standardized facility assessment tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that examines quality as well as quantity and availability. The facility survey is complemented by a qualitative dataset of illustrative quotes from health service providers and supervisors on bubble CPAP implementation factors. Research was conducted in one primary health centre (facility assessment only), three district-level hospitals (both) and a tertiary hospital (qualitative only) in southern Malawi. These datasets may be used by other researchers for insights into health systems of low-income countries and implementation factors for the roll-out of neonatal health innovations as well as to frame future research questions or preliminary exploratory research on similar topics.

Keywords: Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP); Facility assessment; Health worker perspectives; Malawi; Newborn care; Qualitative research.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Continuous Positive Airway Pressure*
  • Hospitals, District
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Health*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Malawi
  • Tertiary Care Centers