Evaluation of Infection Prevention and Control Extension for Community Healthcare Outcome Clinic in Referral Hospitals in Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Project ECHOTM (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcome) is a telehealth initiative that aims to improve access to medical knowledge among healthcare workers (HCWs). Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) ECHO Clinic was implemented from April 2022 to January 2023 in Tanzania where HCWs from ten referral hospitals shared their experiences. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of the IPC ECHO clinic, by assessing enablers and barriers; and elicit recommendations for improvement and further scale-up. Methods: A descriptive study design was conducted whereas both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used. Results: A total of 472 (47.2%) out of 1000 targeted HCWs attended scheduled IPC ECHO sessions. Availability of infrastructure; facility management support; good coordination from the national team and availability of internet bundle were the enablers for the implementation of the clinic. Barriers included: lack of motivation among attendees; lack of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points; shortage of staff; and poor internet connectivity. To improve the implementation of IPC ECHO clinic it was recommended to: include IPC ECHO clinic in CPD initiatives; review time for the sessions; provision of incentives for attendees; improve facilitation techniques; improve network connectivity; enhance HCWs participation in IPC ECHO Clinic: and scale up of IPC ECHO clinic. Conclusion: Implementation of IPC ECHO clinic was successfully conducted. Scale-up of IPC ECHO clinic to other referral health facilities and primary health care facilities is recommended to facilitate knowledge sharing in the areas of IPC during this era of emerging and re-emerging diseases.