Quality of Care among Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Service Delivery in South Asia: A Systematic Rapid Review

Abstract

Background: South Asia is facing the challenges of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which are getting doubled due to the low quality of care (QoC) around NCD services. This systematic rapid review aims to unpack available approaches to establish the quality of care around NCD services and the impact of those approaches to reduce NCD burden in South Asian countries. Methods: Three electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) were searched. Studies published from 1st January 1990 to 31st December 2020 were included. Studies written in English in the South Asian context following any research design about four major NCDs (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease), and interventions to achieve QoC were included. Data extraction was done using a pre-specified form. A narrative synthesis was conducted for analyzing the extracted information. This systematic rapid review is registered in PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) - CRD42020157401.Results: Among 829 identified studies 13 were included in the review for in-depth analysis. Most of the studies focused on cancer followed by diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Community and clinic-based screening, NCD care education, NCD specialized corner or hospital, and a follow-up system ensure patient satisfaction, accessibility, early detection, timely referral, and help to reduce disease severity, mortality rate, and incidence of the new disease.Conclusions: The effective interventions for improving QoC around NCD services can be scaled up in different settings in South Asia to reduce the burden of NCDs.