A Study to Assess the Need for Implementation of a Quality Management System at a Kwa Zulu Natal Based Anti - Retro Viral Clinic

Abstract

HIV/AIDS remains one of the world's most significant public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This is true for poor and vulnerable populations. As per World Health Organisation statistics, an estimated 2.5 million people were newly infected with the virus in 2012 with HIV signalled as the strongest risk factor for developing active TB disease. In 2012, approximately 430 000 deaths from tuberculosis occurred among people living with HIV. That is one quarter of the estimated 1.7 million deaths from HIV in that year. HIV, AIDS and Tuberculosis contribute significantly to the burden of disease faced by South Africans. The South African Department of Health has placed a strong commitment to ensuring that HIV /AIDS is adequately managed at community level with education and awareness programmes highlighting the urgent need for all citizens to conduct HIV Counselling and Testing and then to embark on ART initiation if required for treatment and control of their HIV infection. The focus of the health system's HIV, AIDS and TB programmes is to provide health services by taking advantage of the re-engineered primary healthcare (PHC) approach that is centred on communities and households. HIV, AIDS and TB services have become completely integrated with PHC services which has resulted in the development of Ante retroviral Clinics being established across all parts of the country with a core function of ARV initiation for the millions of South Africans affected by HIV. One such clinic is the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital ARV clinic known as Vusithemba. Although supported in its health service delivery by its counterparts in the Ugu district of Kwa Zulu Natal, the Vusithemba ARV clinic is the largest clinic servicing the greater Umlazi community as the primary ARV roll out site. The clinic has a high patient load and is also the provider of HIV Counselling and Testing and ARV initiation and on-going adherence counselling. High levels of quality are thus required in order to reach operational efficiency and to meet and exceed the clinics goals and treatment objectives. The importance of properly established and managed quality control and quality assurance systems with quality documents for the achievement of the clinic’s objectives is integral to successful patient management.