ValuePoints: “A Quality Improvement Tool for Maternal Health”
ValuePoints (VPs) provide a structured approach to assessing and improving the quality of pregnancy care. By defining a set of six key indicators, the system offers a measurable way to track care delivery throughout the pregnancy journey. Each indicator is assigned a specific number of points, with a maximum of ten points attainable per pregnancy.
A key feature of ValuePoints is the integration of real-time performance insights through a dashboard. This allows healthcare providers to monitor their adherence to quality standards, track expected reimbursements, and compare their performance to network benchmarks. At the system level, network managers, such as district or county health officials, can oversee clinic performance through aggregated dashboard insights.
Design Considerations
ValuePoints were developed with a focus on applicability in low-resource settings, ensuring that the framework remains practical, scalable, and effective. Key design principles include:
- Indicators are adapted from WHO and local pregnancy care guidelines.
- Metrics are simple and easy for healthcare providers to understand.
- Healthcare providers can take direct action to improve performance on each indicator.
- Data requirements are minimal, reducing the burden of reporting.
- A small financial incentive is linked to ValuePoints to support adoption in resource-limited settings.
Impact on Quality Improvement
The primary goal of ValuePoints is to enhance the quality of pregnancy care by providing healthcare providers with actionable insights and structured incentives. The system supports quality improvement in several ways:
- Facilitating investments in care quality – Providers can use earned incentives to procure essential supplies, enhance outreach programs, and improve service delivery.
- Encouraging behavior change – Real-time feedback mechanisms promote adherence to care guidelines among both providers and pregnant women.
- Strengthening collaboration – Since points can be shared between providers when a woman attends multiple facilities, the system fosters shared responsibility and coordinated care.
- Enhancing data quality and utilization – Improved data entry leads to more reliable health insights