Celebrating frontline innovation Scientific poster presentations on quality improvement

General Hospital, Odan — Lagos, Nigeria

Described a project to reduce patient waiting times in the cardiology clinic. Patients were spending an average of four hours to access care, and the team set a goal to reduce this by 25%. Within weeks, they achieved a 15% reduction and planned to sustain and expand these improvements through staff training, monitoring, and stronger stakeholder engagement.

Federal Medical Centre, Epe — Lagos, Nigeria

Presented a project on strengthening adherence to management protocols for preeclampsia and eclampsia. At baseline, adherence was around 55%. Through the use of a structured quality improvement model, root cause analysis, and change ideas, adherence levels improved significantly within a nine-month period, directly contributing to better maternal outcomes.

Lamu County Referral Hospital — Kenya

Shared findings from a patient-centered care survey covering outpatient, inpatient, and maternity settings. The survey measured dimensions such as dignity, privacy, coordinated care, communication, and informed consent. Results revealed service gaps, including instances of abuse and weak communication. In response, the facility began advocacy on patient-centeredness and introduced posters to raise awareness and promote respectful, dignified care.

Lifecare Hospital — Kenya

Presented a project using a five-step root cause analysis model to address test overutilization, focusing particularly on plasma transferrin. Clinicians often ordered overlapping tests without clear understanding of their differences, leading to unnecessary costs and delays. The team responded by creating educational posters and holding lectures for staff, which improved knowledge and reduced unnecessary testing.

Mwai Kibaki Referral Hospital — Kenya

Presented the use of Early Warning Scores to address delays in transferring deteriorating patients from general wards to the ICU. The scoring system was introduced into routine vital signs documentation in September 2024, enabling staff to recognize deterioration earlier and expedite ICU admissions.

The hospital also shared a project focused on enhancing patient satisfaction in the medical ward through improved communication about treatment and aftercare. A baseline analysis revealed unclear explanations and confusion among patients. Using process maps, fishbone analysis, Pareto charts, and run charts, the team identified root causes and introduced patient education sessions and communication skills sensitization for staff.

AIC Kijabe Hospital — Kenya

Presented work on blood culture contamination in a WHO-supported antimicrobial resistance surveillance study. The team observed that over 70% of blood cultures had no yield, and less than 10% grew true pathogens, with many contaminated samples. Recognizing the risks of overtreatment, undertreatment, and antimicrobial resistance, the project emphasized stricter processes to improve culture quality and accuracy.

Kijabe also presented a project to increase antenatal care (ANC) attendance and deliveries through maternal and newborn health training. While ANC attendance was relatively high, this was not reflected in delivery rates. By introducing training and targeted strategies, the team sought to close this gap and improve continuity of maternal care.

Kihara Sub-County Hospital — Kenya

Described efforts to reduce HIV-exposed infant (HEI) seroconversion. Historically, the hospital accounted for more than half of HEI positives in Kiambaa Sub-county. After introducing a CQI project in February 2023, the hospital reported no new seroconversions for over a year, demonstrating sustained success that could be scaled to other facilities.

Halisi Family Hospital — Kenya

Presented a project aimed at increasing medical error reporting. The facility had almost zero reporting at baseline, largely due to a culture of fear and blame. The team introduced initiatives to encourage open discussion of errors and aimed to build a learning culture where reporting was viewed as an opportunity for improvement rather than punishment.

Kahawa West Health Centre — Kenya

Presented a project applying the Kaizen approach to strengthen primary health care systems. Using 5S and value stream mapping, the team reduced patient turnaround time from 120 minutes to 45 minutes, while client satisfaction rose from 35% to 75%. The Kaizen approach also fostered a culture of continuous improvement within the facility.

Nairobi County — Kenya

Described the use of Health Service Delivery Awards to improve care. Anchored in the Kenya Quality Model for Health, the awards were designed to inspire facilities to adopt higher standards of care. Participation grew from zero in 2017 to over 100 facilities in 2018, with the initiative fostering a culture of quality improvement across the county.

Lwala Community Alliance — Kenya

Presented a project to promote holistic and dignified care in primary health and maternal and neonatal services. The initiative emphasized achieving patient safety and quality indicators to build trust and confidence among communities, ensuring care was dignified at every level.

Likoni Sub-County Hospital — Kenya

Presented work on improving client experiences for those receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services. Starting from a baseline satisfaction of 44%, the project introduced interventions such as pre-recorded audio messages, pamphlets, WhatsApp chats, and knowledge-sharing sessions between clients and providers. Within four months, client satisfaction reached the 90% target, supported by a new standard operating procedure to sustain progress.