Enhancing maternal and newborn outcomes in Ghana: a comprehensive randomized controlled trial evaluation of obstetric triage effectiveness and midwives training
Abstract
Ghana has made progress in maternal and newborn health, but significant challenges remain, with maternal mortality at 263 per 100,000 live births and neonatal mortality at 22.8 per 1,000 live births. The Obstetric Triage Implementation Package (OTIP), which includes rapid triage protocols and midwife-led peer training, aims to improve the quality of care in a context of scarce resources. This study evaluates the effectiveness of OTIP in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes and assesses the mechanisms behind the observed effects. A cluster randomized controlled trial will assess the impact of OTIP in 25 high-volume hospitals across Ghana during the final phase of its national roll-out. Hospitals will be randomized into early and late intervention groups. A complementary regression discontinuity analysis will assess the impact of OTIP at the national level. Primary outcomes include process improvements and maternal and neonatal outcomes. Secondary outcomes will assess midwives’ knowledge and attitudes. Data sources include primary surveys of 1,250 mother-newborn pairs and 750 midwives, and administrative records from the Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health. A rigorous evaluation of OTIP would be crucial, not only to assess the effectiveness of a program in which the Government of Ghana is already investing, but also to assess the potential applicability of this training model to other areas, and to contribute to the academic literature by filling gaps in our…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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