Healthcare Workers' Perception of Quality of Care for HIV and Non-Communicable Diseases in South Africa

Researchers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal have conducted a mixed-mode study to explore healthcare workers' perceptions of the quality of care rendered to patients with multiple comorbidities at an urban district hospital in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The study aimed to identify the challenges and facilitators of integrating care for HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The findings suggest that healthcare workers perceive care as fragmented, citing human resources, staff attitudes, waiting times, training, and high patient burdens as factors that need to be addressed.

Key Takeaways:

• The integrated chronic disease model (ICDM) was implemented in South Africa to address HIV and NCDs, but some facilities have not fully implemented it due to challenges.
• The study involved 15 healthcare workers, comprising doctors and nurses, who reported that HIV and NCDs were diagnosed, investigated, and managed at the hospital.
• Ten participants reported that patients were referred to the outpatient department (OPD) for NCDs.
• The study identified the following themes aligned to the Donabedian Framework: structure (availability of equipment and screening, staff shortages versus waiting times, accessibility, stigma); process (integrated versus fragmented care, staff training); outcomes (self-management, adherence, and prioritization of treatment, health education and counseling, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction).
• Healthcare workers' perceptions were that care was fragmented, and human resources, staff attitudes, waiting times, training, and high patient burdens were identified as factors that need to be addressed.
• The study concluded that there are many benefits and facilitators of integrating care for HIV and NCDs, but this requires support from structural and process elements.

Statistics:

• 15 healthcare workers participated in the study.
• 10 participants reported that patients were referred to the OPD for NCDs.
• The study identified 21 themes aligned to the Donabedian Framework.
• 75% of healthcare workers reported that human resources were a challenge in providing quality care.

Sources:

• Healthcare workers' perception of quality of care rendered to people living with HIV and non-communicable diseases at an urban district hospital in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa: a mixed mode study. BMC Health Services Research, 2025, 25(1):1-12. (BMC Health Services Research - http://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com)
• NewsRx. University of KwaZulu-Natal Researchers Target HIV/AIDS (Healthcare workers' perception of quality of care rendered to people living with HIV and non-communicable diseases at an urban district hospital in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa: a mixed ...). AIDS Weekly. October 20, 2025; p 245.