Strengthening health policy and systems research methodologies and promoting sound teaching of such methodologies - Georgia and Uzbekistan
Exploring providers' and patients' perspectives on barriers to quality of care for chronic heart failure (CHF)
This qualitative study aims to explore barriers to quality of care for heart failure in two states of the former Soviet Union - Georgia and Uzbekistan. Heart failure (HF) is a major contributor to morbidity and health care costs, with an estimated population prevalence of 3-4%. For HF, two threats to the quality of care are the poor utilization of evidence-based treatment protocols and inadequate patient adherence.
This study is part of a project that explores the transferability of qualitative principles (those for group and individual interviews) to low-income former Soviet countries by conducting qualitative studies in Georgia and Uzbekistan. The proposed study therefore includes two countries in a comparative case study design. Each case study will use qualitative methods (individual interviews and group discussions) to explore a topic in quality of care that is of interest to both health care systems. The interviews will be used to explore physician and patient perspectives on barriers for quality care in the treatment of chronic heart failure in primary care settings.
The aim of the larger project is to develop understanding of how qualitative methodologies can be developed for use in low- and-middle income countries, and how they can be developed for use in comparative health systems research.
The outputs from the project will be peer-reviewed publications on barriers to quality of care for HF in the two countries and information for policy-makers on potential areas for improvement. This study is part of a larger study on the transferability of qualitative methodology, and additional outputs will be: learning about the development of qualitative methods suitable for comparative health systems research and the development of web based materials to help training for health systems researchers.
Project description
Programme: Strengthening health policy and systems research methodologies and promoting sound teaching of such methodologies
Research title: Exploring providers' and patients' perspectives on barriers to quality of care for chronic heart failure (CHF) in Uzbekistan and Georgia
Thematic Research Area: Cross Cutting
Grantee Country: Uzbekistan
Grantee Institution: Tashkent Medical Academy, School of Public Health
Programme coordinator: Dr Mohir Ahmedov
Start date: November 2008
Status of grant: Completed