The Laboratory African Regional Collaborative (LARC) is a learning collaborative initiative designed to enhance HIV service delivery by facilitating multidisciplinary teamwork in health facilities using the continuous quality improvement (CQI) approach in PEPFAR-supported countries. The program’s purpose is two-fold:
- To strengthen the laboratory-clinic interface across the viral load cascade (below) in order to achieve better patient results (i.e., viral load suppression) using proven CQI methodologies and tools
- To improve institutional capacity and effectiveness through training, mentoring, and enhanced inter-cadre collaboration and communication.
Our Guiding Principles
- Focus on processes to increase productivity
- Focus on the needs of the users
- Use data to improve services
- Use teams to improve quality
- Improve communication
Viral Load Cascade
Our Vision
Continuous Improvement embedded in the DNA of an organization for better patient care
Our Mission
To transform service delivery by creating an improvement culture whereby health facility teams collaborate, communicate, and continuously improve performance.
Our Goal
To implement a facility-based CQI program that is deliverable-focused; results in measurable outcomes; and provides a template for LARC’s scalability.
Words of Wisdom From CQI Ninjas
Testimonial Videos
- Pre-requisites: 7 On-line Courses from Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Open School (http://www.ihi.org/)
- QI 101: Introduction to Health Care Improvement
- QI 102: How to Improve with the Model of Improvement
- QI 103: Testing and Measuring Changes with PDSA Cycles
- QI 104: Integrating data: Run Charts, Control Charts, etc.
- QI 105: Leading Quality Improvement
- QI 201: Planning for Spread, From Local Improvement to System-wide Change
- L 101: Introduction to Health Care Leadership
- LARC Workbook (downloadable document)
- LARC Capability Maturity Model (downloadable document)
- LARC Program Implementation Guide (downloadable document)
LARC Implementations
Kenya (2018 - 2019)
LARC 2.0 implemented a structured curriculum and refined delivery model so the program could be standardized, portable, and replicable.
Download the final report that summarizes results of the LARC initiative from 11 clinics in Kenya (2018-2019).
Zimbabwe (2019 - 2021)
LARC 3.0 is testing a scalable model for implementation of large-scale improvement initiatives.
