Integrated Infectious Disease Capacity-Building Evaluation (IDCAP)

Primary Outcome Measures:

• Model of Integrated Capacity Building Program [ Time Frame: monthly over 3 years ]
  The principal output of this evaluation will be a proven model of an integrated capacity-building package for the care and prevention of infectious disease in Africa. The package will include a single curriculum for MLP and a portfolio of on-site support services founded on Accordia Global Health Foundation's considerable experience in training clinicians in North America and Africa.
  
  
• Competence of individual clinicians [ Time Frame: 3 observations at pre/post IMID and final ]
  Competence of individual clinicians will be measured by scores on 12 written case scenarios or vignettes. Three blocks of 4 scenarios each covered different aspects of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other infectious diseases and included cases involving children, adults, and pregnant women. Each case scenario addressed 6 principal domains: emergency or danger signs, history and physical examination, laboratory testing, diagnosis or classification of patients' medical problems; initial treatment or referral plan, and evolution of the case over time.
  
  
• Practice of individual clinicians [ Time Frame: Baseline and Endline (9 months) ]
  Clinical assessments will be conducted by mobile team faculty who will observe individual clinicians during five outpatient visits with children under five years and five HIV clinic visits. Clinical practice will be assessed on history, physical examination, review of medical records (HIV clinic only), laboratory investigations ordered, diagnosis, treatment prescribed and patient education.
  
  
• Clinical performance indicators [ Time Frame: Monthly beginning 5 months before OSS ]
  54 clinical performance indicators used by the Ministry of Health, the Uganda Malaria Surveillance Program or recommended by international organizations will be used to measure performance in general areas: 1) HIV prevention, 2) HIV care, 3) Antiretroviral therapy, 4) TB/HIV care, 5) Case management of respiratory infections, 6) Case Management of Fever, and 7) Emergency Triage and Treatment.
  
  

Secondary Outcome Measures:

• Reduce Infection, Illness, and Mortality Rates [ Time Frame: 3 years ]
  The population in the areas surrounding the proposed sites will benefit directly from lower infection, illness and mortality rates. The improved ability of clinic staff to deliver quality prevention and care services will increase access to cost-effective interventions delivered according to national guidelines by 9% to 25% depending on the intervention.
  
  

There are four major components of the evaluation design as described below: 1) Site Assessment, 2) Competence and practice of individual MLP who participate in IDT, 3) Facility cost and performance indicators, and 4) Mortality survey. The site assessment guided the curriculum development and site selection. As shown in Figure 1, it occurred only once in Year 1. The effect of the IMID and OSS on competence of individual MLP will be evaluated with written case scenarios or vignettes. Data on case scenarios will be collected three times: a) before training, b) after the three-week course, and c) after the nine-month program that includes two, one-week booster courses and distance learning. To estimate the effect of IMID, aggregate changes in test score across all 3 time points for both arms will be analyzed jointly. To estimate the effect of OSS, differences in change in test score starting from after the three-week course to the end of the nine-month program will be compared across the 2 arms. The effects on practice of individual trainees will be evaluated with clinical assessments by mobile team faculty during five outpatients visits and five HIV clinic visits by individual MLP. Data on clinical assessments will be collected two times: a) before training, and b) after the nine-month program. Facility performance indicators will be collected on a monthly basis from each site. Sites will be randomly assigned to begin OSS in either Phase 1 or Phase 2 and the facility indicators of these two samples of sites will be compared. The principal investigators of IDCAP are actively considering collecting data on mortality among children under five, but a final decision has not been made. At the request of the acting chairperson of SOMREC, we are including information about this potential activity. Mortality surveys would be conducted before and after the OSS.