Evaluating the Efficacy of Using a Digital Consumption Management Tool for Family Planning in Zambia

NCT ID: NCT05503992

Last Updated: 2023-12-20

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

2523 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-11-05

Study Completion Date

2023-12-08

Brief Summary

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The primary objective of this evaluation is to understand the effectiveness of the OpenSRP platform on unmet family planning (FP) demand in rural Zambia. The specific objectives are to:

1. assess the impact of the intervention on satisfaction and use of modern family planning methods among last-mile people of childbearing potential; and
2. understand the impact of the intervention on FP inventory management and dispensing.

The investigators will employ mixed-methods for data collection for this two-arm cluster-randomized trial. This effectiveness evaluation will be paired with a concurrent implementation evaluation, making it a Type 2 Hybrid Design.

For the impact evaluation data will be collected from two main sources at both baseline and endline: 1) existing stock management records (eLMIS and paper records, depending on study arm); and 2) Short phone surveys with people of childbearing potential in the community.

Detailed Description

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Rural health facilities catchment areas (HFCAs) and their affiliated CHWs (clusters) will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control arm. The impact evaluation will consist of a cross-sectional baseline assessment of a sample of women living in the catchment areas of both the intervention and control clusters. This will be followed by a six months of implementation phase (mobile device distribution to CHW, CHW training, CHW utilization of the Open SRP). At endline after six months, a new cross-sectional sample of respondents will be assessed in both the intervention and control clusters.

To achieve objective 1, a short questionnaire will be administered over the phone to a cross-sectional sample of last-mile people of childbearing potential living in both the intervention and control clusters. The sample will be drawn from the CHW's client lists and use a short telephone call to reach respondents.

To achieve objective 2, the same quantitative indicators will be abstracted from two different data sources, depending on the study arm: 1) OpenSRP data captured in the CHW tablets among the intervention sites, and 2) data extracted from the paper records maintained by the CHWs or the health facility or the electronic management system in the control sites (and at baseline).

Conditions

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Family Planning

Keywords

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Digital consumption management tool Community health workers OpenSRP Rural Zambia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The study design is a two-arm cluster-randomized trial. The unit of randomization is the health facility catchment areas (HFCAs) which will be matched in pairs on 1) ruralness as defined by distance/time to the nearest tertiary clinic or district capital; 2) supply chain performance as defined by number of family planning commodities stockouts in the nearest preceding three to six month period for which data are available (for baseline: August to October, 2022; for endline: February to June 2023); 3) catchment area size and; 4) number of CHW affiliates. This effectiveness evaluation will be paired with a concurrent implementation evaluation, making it a Type 2 Hybrid Design.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Intervention arm

CHWs affiliated with intervention facilities randomized to the intervention arm will be given the intervention package.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention package

Intervention Type OTHER

The intervention package will include a mobile device configured with OpenSRP configured to facilitate clinical/service provision and stock management. The intervention also incorporates a training component on OpenSRP with accompanying follow-up supervisory visits for a limited period. Per the theory of changes, these activities will improve CHWs' knowledge and ability to use the platform for clinical care, dispensing, and workflow management, leading to an improved stock of commodities to meet preferred FP needs among last mile women.

Control arm

CHWs affiliated with control sites randomized to the control arm will continue to implement the current standard of care which includes using paper records for inventory management and dispensing.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Intervention package

The intervention package will include a mobile device configured with OpenSRP configured to facilitate clinical/service provision and stock management. The intervention also incorporates a training component on OpenSRP with accompanying follow-up supervisory visits for a limited period. Per the theory of changes, these activities will improve CHWs' knowledge and ability to use the platform for clinical care, dispensing, and workflow management, leading to an improved stock of commodities to meet preferred FP needs among last mile women.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Resident in a study health facility catchment area (HFCA)
* Family planning (FP) client of community health worker (CHW) affiliated with one of the study sites
* Access to a mobile phone

Exclusion Criteria

* Unwilling or unable to consent
* Currently pregnant
* Currently breastfeeding
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

49 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

FED

Sponsor Role collaborator

Pharmaceutical Systems Africa (PSA)

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Boston University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Veronika J Wirtz, BPharm, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Boston University School of Public Health, Global Health

Locations

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Kawambwa District Health Office

Kawambwa, , Zambia

Site Status

Mansa District Health Office

Mansa, , Zambia

Site Status

Samfya District Health Office

Samfya, , Zambia

Site Status

Countries

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Zambia

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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MTaPS-19-001

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

H-43082

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id