Assessing Quality of Care via a Nurse Mentorship Program for Non-Communicable Diseases in Rural Rwanda

Abstract

By 2020, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will account for 60% of morbidities and 65% of mortalities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Rwandan Ministry of Health and Partners in Health (PIH) have trained nurses to provide care for diabetes, hypertension, and chronic respiratory diseases at health centers in rural Rwanda. PIH has a mentorship program, called “Mentorship and Enhanced Supervision for Health Centers” (MESH), to support NCD care and to identify and address gaps in quality. We used data from MESH checklists, which are completed by experienced nurse-mentors, to assess quality of care at five health centers in Kayonza and Kirehe Districts, and to determine target areas for future quality improvement efforts.