Changes in the time of COVID-19: a quality improvement initiative to maintain services at a youth sexual health clinic

Abstract

ObjectivesAdolescents and young adults (AYAs) face difficulties accessing sexual and reproductive health services. These difficulties were exacerbated for a variety of reasons by the COVID-19 pandemic. We document strategies and outcomes implemented at an urban youth sexual health clinic in Florida that allowed uninterrupted provision of services while protecting against spread of COVID-19.MethodsThe plan–do–study–act (PDSA) model was used to implement COVID-19 interventions designed to allow continued service delivery while protecting the health and safety of staff and patients. This method was applied to clinic operations, community referral systems and community outreach to assess and refine interventions within a quick-paced feedback loop.ResultsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, changes made via PDSA cycles to clinical/navigation services, health communications and youth outreach/engagement effectively responded to AYA needs. Although overall numbers of youth served decreased, all youth contacting the clinic for services were able to be accommodated. Case finding rates for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV were similar to pre-pandemic levels.ConclusionsQuality improvement PDSA initiatives at AYA sexual health clinics, particularly those for underserved youth, can be used to adapt service delivery when normal operating models are disrupted. The ability for youth sexual health clinics to adapt to a changing healthcare landscape will be crucial in ensuring that under-resourced youth are able to receive needed services and ambitious Ending the HIV Epidemic goals are achieved.

A Quality Improvement Innovation for Reproductive Health Planning in the Time of COVID

“…Practices need to educate patients on the need to return for regular visits, whether by telehealth or in person, where their reproductive health needs can be addressed. Lim et al found that social media outreach could help compensate for the decrease in face-to-face contact during the pandemic and ensure patients were still aware their providers were there for them (Lim et al, 2021 ). While it is possible that the women who declined the visit truly did not need any further discussion about their reproductive health, this seems highly unlikely given our patient population and the unmet needs we uncovered.…”