Using the Abortion Care Quality Tool (ACQTool) to Understand and Compare Abortion Care Quality
Researchers have utilized a newly developed tool to assess and compare the quality of abortion care, specifically focusing on facility-managed and pharmacy-sourced self-managed medication abortions in Bangladesh.
BACKGROUND
Ensuring high-quality abortion care is essential for reproductive autonomy, health, and human rights. This encompasses providing accurate information, recognizing warning signs, and facilitating access to follow-up care. The availability of safe abortion has expanded globally, with self-managed medication abortion (SMA) recognized as a viable model, particularly in restricted settings. However, questions about the quality of care in SMA settings have arisen.
Challenge: Comparing Quality of Care
Assessing abortion care quality has been challenging due to the absence of a common definition and lack of validated tools. In Bangladesh, the challenge was to effectively assess the quality of care in both facility-managed and pharmacy-sourced abortion contexts.
Solution: Employing the ACQTool
The ACQTool, developed by Metrics for Management, Ibis Reproductive Health, and Ipas, offers a standardized approach to assessing abortion service quality. Tested in various contexts, it evaluates technical and interpersonal aspects of care, enabling measurement across facility and SMA settings.
Results: Improved Understanding of Abortion Care Quality in Bangladesh
Findings from surveys conducted between February 2020 and September 2021 revealed high-quality abortion care experiences for both facility-managed and pharmacy-sourced SMA clients. However, disparities were noted in information provision, with pharmacy clients reporting less knowledge about managing adverse events.
Key Takeaways:
- The ACQTool provides a standardized and comprehensive means of assessing quality indicators.
- Quality measurement facilitates improvement efforts.
- The tool’s development involved extensive qualitative research with abortion clients, ensuring relevance to their experiences.
Next Steps
This study underscores the importance of patient-centered care and highlights the need for improved information provision, particularly in pharmacy settings. Interventions targeting information dissemination and affordability of facility-based services may enhance overall care quality. Additionally, findings can inform global efforts to improve abortion care and serve as a baseline for monitoring progress and intervention effectiveness.
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