Effect of Integrated Supportive Supervision on the Quality of Health-Care Service Delivery in Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Katsina State Government in Northern Nigeria introduced integrated supportive supervision (ISS) in primary health centers. The study was guided by the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative Conceptual Framework. The goal of the study was to measure the impact of ISS on the quality of primary health-care delivery. The outcome variables measured include infrastructure, basic equipment, human resources for health, essential drugs, the number of pregnant women screened for HIV, and the number of children receiving immunization. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional survey of 34 health facilities. Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test followed by Dunn post hoc test and analysis of variance followed by Tukey post hoc test were both employed to compare the mean values of various indicators obtained over 6 visits of the ISS program from July 2018 to December 2018. FINDINGS: The study shows the positive effect of the ISS on infrastructure, human resources for health, essential drugs, and the number of pregnant women screened for HIV (P < .05). Human resources for health and the number of children receiving immunization were both not affected by ISS (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Integrated supportive supervision need to be embedded into the 3 levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary) of health-care service delivery. IMPLICATIONS: Integrated supportive supervision will strengthen the Katsina State health system, ensure efficient use of the health facility assets and resources utilization, and improve patient/client satisfaction.