Referral Systems for Preterm, Low Birth Weight, and Sick Newborns in Ethiopia: a Qualitative Assessment Alula M

Teklu et al. BMC Pediatrics (2020) 20:409 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02311-6 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Referral systems for preterm, low birth weight, and sick newborns in Ethiopia: a qualitative assessment Alula M. Teklu1, James A. Litch2* , Alemu Tesfahun3, Eskinder Wolka4, Berhe Dessalegn Tuamay5, Hagos Gidey6, Wondimye Ashenafi Cheru7, Kirsten Senturia2, Wendemaghen Gezahegn1 and And the Every Preemie–SCALE Ethiopia Implementation Research Collaboration Group Abstract Background: A responsive and well-functioning newborn referral system is a cornerstone to the continuum of child health care; however, health system and client-related barriers negatively impact the referral system. Due to the complexity and multifaceted nature of newborn referral processes, studies on newborn referral systems have been limited. The objective of this study was to assess the barriers for effective functioning of the referral system for preterm, low birth weight, and sick newborns across the primary health care units in 3 contrasting regions of Ethiopia. Methods: A qualitative assessment using interviews with mothers of preterm, low birth weight, and sick newborns, interviews with facility leaders, and focus group discussions with health care providers was conducted in selected health facilities. Data were coded using an iteratively developed codebook and synthesized using thematic content analysis. Results: Gaps and barriers in the newborn referral system were identified in 3 areas: transport and referral communication; availability of, and adherence to newborn referral protocols; and family reluctance or refusal of newborn referral. Specifically, the most commonly noted barriers in both urban and rural settings were lack of ambulance, uncoordinated referral and return referral communications between providers and between facilities, unavailability or non-adherence to newborn referral protocols, family fear of the unknown, expectation of infant death despite referral, and patient costs related to referral. Conclusions: As the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health focuses on averting early child deaths, government investments in newborn referral systems and standardizing referral and return referral communication are urgently needed. A complimentary approach is to lessen referral overload at higher-level facilities through improvements in the scope and quality of services at lower health system tiers to provide basic and advanced newborn care. Keywords: Referral and consultation, Premature infant, Premature birth, Low birth weight, Newborn, Newborn health, Ethiopia * Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] 2Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), 19009 33rd Avenue W, Suite 200, Lynnwood, Seattle, WA 98036, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Teklu et al. BMC Pediatrics (2020) 20:409 Page 2 of 12 Background patients [11]. Referral system implementation, however, The World Health Organization (WHO) defines referral has been facing challenges as a result of resource- and as “a process in which a health worker at one level of management-related constraints [12]. the healthcare system, having insufficient resources With a population of over 100 million, Ethiopia is the (drugs, equipment, skills) to manage a clinical condition, second most populous country in Africa. Close to 78% seeks the assistance of a better or differently resourced of the population live in rural areas. Over the last two facility at the same or higher level to assist in, or take decades, it has achieved remarkable increases in the over the management of, the client’s case” [1]. An effect- coverage of essential health services, particularly in the ive referral system is an essential component of the areas of maternal, newborn, child and nutrition-related health system to improve outcomes for mothers and healthcare. Between 2005 and 2019, coverage of 4 visits newborns around the time of childbirth [2]. Early illness of antenatal care, health facility delivery and vaccination detection requiring advanced care not available at all fa- with all basic child vaccines increased from 12 to 43%, 5 cility levels, coordinated with a well-functioning referral to 48%, and 20 to 43%, respectively. Similarly, treatment- system, can significantly reduce maternal and newborn seeking for childhood illnesses and the overall use of mortality and morbidity [3–7]. modern health services increased substantially. The aver- Decisions by initiating facilities to refer preterm, low age annual number of health facility visits per capita, a birth weight (LBW), and sick newborns depend on fac- proxy for the overall health service use rate, increased tors such as severity of the disease, providers’ experience from 0.27 in 2005 to 0.9 in 2019 [13]. The health exten- and scope of practice, availability of advanced care ser- sion program began in 2003 to improve access to health vices, societal culture and norms, as well as socioeco- services in rural and medically underserved areas, and nomic and educational status of the family [6, 8]. When has become an important source of maternal and new- initiating a referral, communication on the reasons for born health services for rural communities in Ethiopia referral with the receiving facility can reduce treatment [14]. Health extension workers (HEWs) are the founda- delay, avoid system overload, and enable utilization of tion of the health extension program. They are primarily expertise at advanced clinical hubs. In circumstances female, and as of 2018, 42,000 workers were deployed when services are not available for the preterm, LBW, throughout Ethiopia [15]. and sick newborn in the initiating facility, parents or Prior studies have shown low effectiveness and effi- other caregivers should be properly counseled on the ciency in the maternal and newborn referral system, and reason for referral and receive properly documented re- thus capacity and performance improvements are rec- ferral papers. Communication with the receiving facility ommended [12, 16]. However, no qualitative studies in should be ensured. the literature have identified the contextual and struc- The Ethiopian public health system is a 3-tier, health tural factors influencing referral conditions in Ethiopia care delivery arrangement [9]. The first level is the pri- for preterm, LBW, and sick newborns. This study used mary health care unit (PHCU) comprised of health cen- qualitative methods to assess the referral system for pre- ters, each serving 15,000 to 40,000 people, and in rural term, LBW, and sick newborns and identify barriers for areas, several satellite health posts serving a population its effective functioning across the primary health care of 3000 to 5000 each. Primary-level hospital care is pro- unit in Ethiopia. vided by a primary hospital serving a population of 60, 000 to 100,000 [9]. The second tier is a general hospital Methods which is expected to serve a population of 1.0 to 1.5 mil- Study design lion and serves as a first referral center. The third tier A qualitative assessment was conducted in multiple sites comprises specialized referral hospitals serving a popula- across 3 regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromia, and tion of 3.5 to 5.0 million [9]. These 3 levels are expected Addis Ababa). Data collectors conducted (1) in-depth in- to interact through a referral system to allow exchange terviews (IDIs) with mothers of premature, LBW, or sick of information and patients. Preterm, LBW, and sick newborns who received care within the government newborns are referred within this system. Public facilities health care system or delivered in the community (here- are expected to provide free ambulance services for re- after “mothers”); (2) IDIs with obstetric and newborn ferrals between facilities. care providers and HEWs associated with study health Health care services in Ethiopia are delivered through facilities (hereafter “providers”), (3) key informant inter- extensive national programs and networks in which the views (KIIs) with facility administrators in the public referral system is one area of focus [10]. Referrals begin health care system (hereafter “facility administrators”), at lower tiers of the primary health care system and con- and (4) focus group discussions (FGDs) with providers tinue to higher ones although there can be horizontal re- in study health facilities. Demographic data were col- ferrals between similar-level

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