Quality Assurance

Standards define quality for a health care system or service, set the quality level, and provide the basis for measuring quality. The standards are systems-based – i.e., designed to encompass all elements of service delivery that affect the quality and outcomes of male circumcision.

Male Circumcision Quality Assurance: A Guide to Enhancing the Safety and Quality of Services (2008, PDF, 2.12 MB) outlines the roles and responsibilities of national and district programme managers for implementing safe quality male circumcision services and provides guidance for the planning of a national quality assurance programme. Ten standards are outlined that define the requirements that all facilities providing male circumcision services should attain. A recommended minimum package of services is defined to emphasize that male circumcision for HIV prevention should not be focused on the surgical procedure alone. Information is also provided to assist clinic managers to set up quality improvement teams in their facilities.

Male Circumcision Services Quality Assessment Tool Kit (2009, PDF, 989 KB) helps facility managers and providers assess their own performance and define the gaps that exist. These tools also can be used by national and district managers to conduct external assessments of facilities.