Novel application of multi-facility process map analysis for rapid injury care health system assessment in Northern Malawi

Abstract

Objectives We used the process mapping method and Three Delays framework, to identify and visually represent the relationship between critical actions, decisions and barriers to access to care following injury in the Karonga health system, Northern Malawi.Design Facilitated group process mapping workshops with summary process mapping synthesis.Setting Process mapping workshops took place in 11 identified health system facilities (one per facility) providing injury care for a population in Karonga, Northern Malawi.Participants Fifty-four healthcare workers from various cadres took part.Results An overall injury health system summary map was created using those categories of action, decision and barrier that were sometimes or frequently reported. This provided a visual summary of the process following injury within the health system. For Delay 1 (seeking care) four barriers were most commonly described (by 8 of 11 facilities) these were ‘cultural norms’, ‘healthcare literacy’, ‘traditional healers’ and ‘police processes’. For Delay 2 (reaching care) the barrier most frequently described was ‘transport’—a lack of timely affordable emergency transport (formal or informal) described by all 11 facilities. For Delay 3 (receiving quality care) the most commonly reported barrier was that of ‘physical resources’ (9 of 11 facilities).Conclusions We found our novel approach combining several process mapping exercises to produce a summary map to be highly suited to rapid health system assessment identifying barriers to injury care, within a Three Delays framework. We commend the approach to others wishing to conduct rapid health system assessments in similar contexts.