A proposed model to conduct process and outcome evaluations and implementation research of child health programs in Africa using integrated community case management as an example

Abstract

To use a newly devised set of criteria to review the study design and scope of collection of process, outcomes and contextual data for evaluations and implementation research of integrated community case management (iCCM) in Sub–Saharan Africa. We examined 24 program evaluations and implementation research studies of iCCM in sub–Saharan Africa conducted in the last 5 years (2008–2013), assessed the design used and categorized them according to whether or not they collected sufficient information to conduct process and outcome evaluations. Several evaluations were done too soon after implementation, lacked information on health facility treatments, costs, demand, timeliness or SES and/or did not have a counterfactual. We propose several study designs and minimal data elements to be collected to provide sufficient information to assess whether iCCM increased timely coverage of treatment for the neediest children in a cost–efficient manner