A systematic rapid review on quality of care among non-communicable diseases (NCDs) service delivery in South Asia

BACKGROUND: At present, poor quality of care (QoC) surrounding non-communicable diseases (NCDs) service provision poses a threat to South Asia. This systematic rapid review aims to highlight the available approaches to improve QoC in NCD services in South Asian countries. METHODS: Three electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) were used to identify relevant literature. Studies published from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2020 were included. Studies published in English in the South Asian context following any research design about four major NCDs (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease), and interventions to achieve QoC were included. Data extraction was done using a pre-specified form. A narrative synthesis was conducted for analyzing the extracted information. This systematic rapid review is registered in PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) - CRD42020157401. RESULTS: Among 829 identified studies, 13 were included in the review for in-depth analysis. Most of the studies focused on cancer followed by diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Community and clinic-based screening, NCD care education, NCD specialized corner or hospital, and a follow-up system ensure patient satisfaction, accessibility, early detection, timely referral, and help to reduce disease severity, mortality rate, and incidence of the new disease. CONCLUSIONS: Effective interventions for improving QoC surrounding NCD services can be scaled up in different settings in South Asia to reduce the burden of NCDs.