Factors affecting adoption, implementation fidelity, and sustainability of the Redesigned Community Health Fund in Tanzania: a mixed methods protocol for process evaluation in the Dodoma region

BACKGROUND: Despite the implementation of various initiatives to address low enrollment in voluntary micro health insurance (MHI) schemes in sub-Saharan Africa, the problem of low enrollment remains unresolved. The lack of process evaluations of such interventions makes it difficult to ascertain whether their poor results are because of design failures or implementation weaknesses. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we describe a process evaluation protocol aimed at opening the 'black box' to evaluate the implementation processes of the Redesigned Community Health Fund (CHF) program in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. DESIGN: The study employs a cross-sectional mixed methods design and is being carried out 3 years after the launch of the Redesigned CHF program. The study is grounded in a conceptual framework which rests on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and the Implementation Fidelity Framework. The study utilizes a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools (questionnaires, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and document review), and aligns the evaluation to the Theory of Intervention developed by our team. Quantitative data will be used to measure program adoption, implementation fidelity, and their moderating factors. Qualitative data will be used to explore the responses of stakeholders to the intervention, contextual factors, and moderators of adoption, implementation fidelity, and sustainability. DISCUSSION: This protocol describes a systematic process evaluation in relation to the implementation of a reformed MHI. We trust that the theoretical approaches and methodologies described in our protocol may be useful to inform the design of future process evaluations focused on the assessment of complex interventions, such as MHI schemes

Implementation of the redesigned community health fund in the Dodoma region of Tanzania : a qualitative study of views from rural communities

The need to understand how an intervention is received by the beneficiary community is well recognised and particularly neglected in the micro-health insurance (MHI) domain. This study explored the views and reactions of the beneficiary community of the redesigned Community Health Fund (CHF) implemented in the Dodoma region of Tanzania. We collected data from focus group discussions with 24 groups of villagers (CHF members and nonmembers) and in-depth interviews with 12 key informants (enrolment officers and health care workers). The transcribed material was analysed thematically. We found that participants highly appreciate the scheme, but to be resolved are the challenges posed by the implementation strategies adopted. The responses of the community were nested within a complex pathway relating to their interaction with the implementation strategies and their ongoing reflections regarding the benefits of the scheme. Community reactions ranged from accepting to rejecting the scheme, demanding the right to receive benefit packages once enrolled, and dropping out of the scheme when it failed to meet their expectations. Reported drivers of the responses included intensity of CHF communication activities, management of enrolment procedures, delivery of benefit packages, critical features of the scheme, and contextual factors (health system and socio-political context). This study highlights that scheme design and implementation strategies that address people's needs, voices, and values can improve uptake of MHI interventions. The study adds to the knowledge base on implementing MHI initiatives and could promote interests in assessing the response to interventions within the MHI domain and beyond