Qualitative assessment of providers’ experiences with a segmentation counseling tool for family planning in Niger

Reproductive Health

Research

Amelia Maytan-Joneydi¹  Ilene S. Speizer²  Ellen MacLachlan³  Illiassou Chaibou Halidou⁴  Abdoul Moumouni Nouhou⁴  Balki Ibrahim Agali⁴  Souleymane Amadou Garba⁴  Sanoussi Chaibou⁴ 

[1] Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;Independent Global Health Consultant, Seattle, WA, USA;L’Initiative OASIS Niger, Niamey, Niger;

关键词: Family planning;    Niger;    Sub-Saharan Africa;    Reproductive health services;    Quality of counseling;    Segmentation;    Program scale-up;    Planification familiale;    Niger;    Afrique sub-saharienne;    Services de santé reproductive;    Qualité des conseils;    Segmentation;    Mise à l’échelle du programme;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12978-023-01617-9

 received in 2022-01-08, accepted in 2023-04-20,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionThis study examines experiences with a family planning segmentation counseling tool that is used during the provision of family planning services. Based on answers to a series of questions, women are segmented into one of five categories of family planning users and counseled based on their identified segment. This study aimed to qualitatively assess provider perspectives on implementation of the tool.MethodsSemi-structured in-depth interviews took place in the Dosso region of Niger among 16 family planning providers who had been trained in segmentation and were currently using the segmentation tool. The facilities chosen for interviews were part of a larger mixed methods study assessing the impact of using the segmentation approach. Interview questions focused on training, supervision, how segmentation occurs at the health facility, how segmentation changes provider–client interactions, and any difficulties faced with implementation. Interviews were translated and transcribed into French and data were coded and thematically analyzed.ResultsAll providers in the study reported positive outcomes associated with segmentation. While providers acknowledged that the segmentation approach added time to the clinic visit, they did see the benefit of this extra time in providing more meaningful interactions between clients and providers, leaving clients with a deeper understanding of family planning and of the different methods available. The implementation of the tool did not change other aspects of service delivery, except that a segmentation sheet was required to be filled in and kept in each patient’s file. Difficulties reported included translating the segmentation tool questions into local languages, training enough health care providers and avoiding stock outs of the segmentation sheets.ConclusionThe segmentation process is of benefit to family planning clients in Niger and the scale-up of the strategy could bring higher quality services to women. If this approach is brought to scale the implementation challenges uncovered need to be addressed, especially adequate training. Further research is needed to determine if segmentation leads to changes in family planning use outcomes.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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