Implementation of Kenya quality guidelines for improved health services in Kenya: A case of Kakamega County

Abstract

initiated across all health facilities to guide the implementation of quality standards. The use of guidelines in health management system describes the measure that can improve performance in health service delivery. Despite having guidelines there are disparities in the quality of services delivered in health facilities. The study focused on implementation of quality guidelines for improved health services. The objectives of the study were to establish the management practices used in the implementation process of the Kenya Quality Model for health and to explore the Human resources factors that influenced the implementation process of the Kenya quality model of health.A cross-sectional study involving 110 clinical managers in six public health facilities in Kakamega County, Kenya was carried out.Public health facilitieswere selected using random sampling, Clinical Managers were sampled using stratified and proportionate sampling. Quantitative data analysis yielded descriptive statistics and Chi-square (χ2) tests.The management practices used to implement guidelines was methods of quality improvement with mean 3.8, planning 3.3, continuous quality improvement 3 P-value was 0.04 indicating a significant relationship with improved quality of health services. The human resource for health factors that affected implementation of guidelines were awareness of guideline contents with a mean score 3.7 and motivation 3 and a p-value of 0.03 which indicated a relationship between human resource for health and improved quality of health services. The study recommends formation of quality improvement teams that can be responsible for the implementation process and development of quality monitoring tools. It further recommends Strategies to be put in place to increase the number of health human resources and train all health managers on the quality guidelines to prepare them for the implementation process.