Regional Strategy for Quality Assurance at Individual IPP Provider Sites

Background:
The National Infertility Prevention Project provides screening for chlamydia in a variety of clinic types.Site visits to participating IPP providers address Quality Assurance activities.

Objective:
To describe the Region VII Facility Services Assessment form and the results from monitoring site visits in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska during 2006.

Method:
As part of the Region VII QA Plan, the state coordinators assess a minimum of 20% of all clinics in each state annually.

Result:
In 2006, a total of 96 visits were completed to IPP providers in the region. A variety of clinic types were assessed in seven different areas including education, screening, specimen collection and transport, time to results, treatment, and training. Of those visited, 95% of the clinics offer a chlamydia test to all clients under 24. Sixty-three percent (63%) of the clinics said they do not screen outside of their state criteria. Forty-five of the clinics reported that it takes seven to ten days to receive test results. Most clinics (84%) notify their clients of positivie test results by phone. Seventy-two percent (72%) of the clinics use 1 g. Azithromycin to treat clients. There were only 12 clinics in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska that do not treat partners - most of those agencies were correctional facilities or schools. All clinics visited in 2006 reported having had training in STDs, chlamydia or infertility in the last 12 months.

Conclusion:
Facility Assessments in combination with site visits and chart auditing provide valuable information for guiding programs and training.

Implications:
More in-depth questions may be needed to give new and additional insight into issues at the clinic, state, and regional level of the Infertility Prevention Projects.