ArticleInternational journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care2016
Providing antenatal corticosteroids for preterm birth: a quality improvement initiative in Cambodia and the Philippines.
Article in International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of Implementation Tools for Spontaneous Preterm Birth Guidelines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2025Pooled it
- Factors influencing appropriate use of interventions for management of women experiencing preterm birth: A mixed-methods systematic review and narrative synthesis.PLoS medicine · 2022Pooled it
- Facility-Level Factors Associating Antenatal Corticosteroid Administration Rates and Subsequent Term Birth Rates: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Observational Study Using the 2020-2022 Perinatal Registry Database in Japan.The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research · 2026Observational
- Women's health and maternal care services: seizing missed opportunities to prevent and manage preterm birth.Reproductive health · 2025Review
- Measuring ENAP interventions for small and/or sick newborns in routine health information systems: indicators and considerations from a WHO expert consultation.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Factors affecting antenatal corticosteroid use in low- and middle-income countries: Facility characteristics, structural readiness, and past performance of CEmONC signal functions.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Antenatal corticosteroids in Singapore: a clinical and scientific assessment.Singapore medical journal · 2024Review
- Readiness to Provide Antenatal Corticosteroids for Threatened Preterm Birth in Public Health Facilities in Northern India.Global health, science and practice · 2021Article
- Conceptualizing and assessing improvement capability: a review.International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine whether a simple quality improvement initiative consisting of a technical update and regular audit and feedback sessions will result in increased use of antenatal corticosteroids among pregnant women at risk of imminent preterm birth delivering at health facilities in the Philippines and Cambodia.
designNon-randomized, observational study using a pre-/post-intervention design conducted between October 2013 and June 2014.
settingA total of 12 high volume facilities providing Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services in Cambodia (6) and Philippines (6).
interventionA technical update on preterm birth and use of antenatal corticosteroids, followed by monthly audit and feedback sessions.
main outcome measureThe proportion of women at risk of imminent preterm birth who received at least one dose of dexamethasone.
resultsCoverage of at least one dose of dexamethasone increased from 35% at baseline to 86% at endline in Cambodia (P < 0.0001) and from 34% at baseline to 56% at endline in the Philippines (P < 0.0001), among women who had births at 24-36 weeks. In both settings baseline coverage and magnitude of improvement varied notably by facility. Availability of dexamethasone, knowledge of use and cost were not major barriers to coverage.
conclusionsA simple quality improvement strategy was feasible and effective in increasing use of dexamethasone in the management of preterm birth in 12 hospitals in Cambodia and Philippines.
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