Quality of care in sterilization services at the public health facilities in India: A multilevel analysis

PLoS One. 2020 Nov 2;15(11):e0241499. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241499. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Female sterilization is the most popular contraceptive method among Indian couples, and the public sector is the major source of sterilization services in the country. However, concerns remain on the quality of services provided, deaths, failures, and complications following sterilization. In this paper, we study the complexities around the quality of care in female sterilization services at public health facilities and identify strategies for improving the measurement of such quality. A better understanding of these issues could inform pragmatic strategies for enhancing quality. This study uses data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16 and District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) 2012-13. The study is limited to only districts whose data are available in both DLHS 2012-13 and NFHS 2015-16. The methods of analysis include bivariate statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and two-level mixed-effects logistic regression. We found that the quality of care (QoC) in sterilization service at the public health facilities in India is associated with facility readiness and the socio-economic characteristics of the clients. There is a significant association between household wealth and the QoC received. Our study provides empirical shreds of evidence on the role of structural attributes in delivering quality sterilization services. The spatial analyses revealed the geographies in the country where the QoC and facility readiness are low. Quality should be an overriding priority to establish the credibility of any health care delivery system. It is essential to provide safeguards against adverse events to develop the client's confidence in the services, which is the key to success for any voluntary family planning program like in India.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Geography
  • Health Facilities*
  • Humans
  • India
  • Logistic Models
  • Multilevel Analysis*
  • Public Health*
  • Quality of Health Care*
  • Sterilization, Reproductive*

Grants and funding

This paper was prepared as part of a mentorship program under the RASTA initiative of the Evidence Project of the Population Council. The Evidence Project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of cooperative agreement no. AID-OAA-A-13-00087. The contents of this manuscript are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.