SIRCLE

SIRCLE Collaboration

Health Services, Implementation Research and Clinical Excellence Collaboration 

The Health Services and Implementation Research and Clinical Excellence (SIRCLE) Collaboration brings together policy-makers from government and academics from the University of Nairobi and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KEMRI-WTRP). This new collaboration aims at building research capacity in health systems research in Kenya.

Health systems research is a poorly developed field in many lower-income countries including Kenya. There are particular difficulties in ensuring that routine service delivery reflects contextually appropriate, evidence-based, best practices. This in turn reflects our poor understanding of how to introduce, reinforce and continually update good practices amongst health workers. The challenge of implementation.

SIRCLE’s work therefore aims to bridge the evidence – policy – practice gaps in Kenya with an initial focus on areas of relevance to Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival, addressing Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5 [Reducing maternal and child mortality rates], and referral care services provided by rural hospitals.

The main strategic objectives of the SIRCLE Collaboration are:

1. To expand the use of available research evidence in the development of health care practice standards in paediatric, newborn and maternal health using systematic reviews and the GRADE methodology
2. To develop the methodology for defining, collecting and analysing health service delivery information related to paediatric, neonatal and maternal care from rural and regional hospitals (Levels 4 and 5 [District and Provincial] of the health system, now numbering over 300 facilities)

SIRCLE Progress and Plans 2011 – 2013

SIRCLE’s work is overseen by a Board of Management, with representatives from the three partner institutions and led by a Senior Researcher and an Academic Manager. SIRCLE recruited 6 trainees in August and September 2011 who now form a research team with individual supervisors and mentors drawn from amongst senior staff from the three partner institutions.. Four of the trainees will undertake distance based MSc Training to support their research skill development and two have individualized research training plans. This team will tackle themed research projects over a 2.5 years period
 

After a joint workshop with the Ministry of Medical Services in November 2011 the SIRCLE researchers were asked to develop tools and approaches for assessing the quality of hospital care. The tools developed in partnership with MoMS will allow SIRCLE to support the Ministry of Medical Services to evaluate Level 4 and 5 hospital services in surveys to be conducted in June and July 2012.

Surveys will be of two types:

1. ‘Hospital Reforms’ surveys will be carried out by MoMS staff in over 100 facilities with data collection tool development and analysis to be supported by SIRCLE
2.  ‘Detailed Quality of Care’ surveys will be carried out in 22 facilities by SIRCLE researchers supported by MoMS. Data entry will use a web-based, open-source platform and analysis and report writing will be undertaken by SIRCLE

Reports on these hospital assessments will be available in September 2012.