The Development of a Quality Improvement Project to Reduce Neonatal Sepsis in Ghana

Quality Improvement (QI) methodologies are powerful tools that hasten improvement in heath care settings (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2015). These methodologies can be applied to projects ranging from higher-level systems change to lower level daily process change. No matter the scale of the project, these methodologies provide a framework for systematic improvement that facilitates lasting, positive change. This paper will detail the development of a QI project in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Accra, Ghana. In response to a neonatal sepsis outbreak in April 2014, a QI project was initiated to tackle this complex and urgent problem in a manner that would produce effective and sustainable change. The formation of the QI team along with the methods they used to identify the areas most in need of improvement will be described in detail. This paper will also examine the implementation phase of the QI initiative. Implementation indicates a permanent change to the way work in a local setting is conducted, emphasizing local adaptation and implementation to ensure interventions are both culturally acceptable and locally sustainable.Master of Public Healt