On the 26th of January 2025, the Caring for Providers to Improve Patient Experience (CPIPE) trial study has successfully concluded its recent training session for healthcare providers, marking a significant milestone in its intervention efforts.
During the week, the study team completed training for 46 maternity providers from five selected health facilities in the Upper East and North East regions of Ghana.
With this final session, the total number of maternity providers participating in the CPIPE intervention has now reached approximately 200 across 20 facilities in Ghana and Kenya. The intervention also builds upon an earlier pilot study in Kenya, where 80 providers from six facilities received training. Over the next year, an additional 200 providers from 20 control facilities will be included in the study, further expanding the initiative’s reach.
The CPIPE training covers a comprehensive range of topics designed to enhance person-centered maternity care, especially in challenging situations. Key training areas include stress and burnout management, implicit and explicit bias awareness, teamwork and communication exercises, and clinical emergency responses such as neonatal resuscitation and postpartum hemorrhage management.
In addition to the two-day intensive training sessions, the study incorporates a six-month support system for providers in intervention facilities. This includes monthly refresher trainings, peer support, and mentorship programs. Facility-embedded champions lead activities at the local level, while broader health system leaders work through a community advisory group to address stress factors identified by the providers.
The CPIPE initiative was developed in response to prior research indicating that many instances of mistreatment in maternity care are unconscious. Stress and burnout among healthcare providers can negatively impact patient interactions, while provider biases—both implicit and explicit—can lead to disparities in care. The intervention seeks to mitigate these issues by addressing provider well-being as a pathway to fostering equitable and person-centered maternity care.
The study is currently in the data collection phase. Baseline data has already been gathered from 400 healthcare providers and 2,000 women across the 40 intervention and control facilities in Ghana and Kenya, with midline data collection ongoing.
Early findings indicate that the intervention is making a positive impact on both provider and patient experiences. A provider from the pilot study highlighted the transformation in workplace attitudes, stating:
“Sharing my stresses with my colleagues now made me enjoy coming to work, and my anger towards the patients was also dealt with. Before, I could shout at the mothers … without bothering that they are in pain, and that is why maybe they are not cooperating. But nowadays, it’s not easy to find me shouting at them…I no longer insult the mothers.”
CPIPE is a collaborative effort involving the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Global Programs for Research and Training, PRONTO International, and regional health directorates.
The Ghana site is led by Dr. Raymond Aborigo, with team members Mr. Moro Ali and Ms. Debora Ayibasiya. Prof. Patience Afulani from UCSF serves as the Principal Investigator.
As CPIPE continues its efforts to improve maternity care, its evidence-based approach is expected to contribute significantly to maternal health outcomes in Ghana and Kenya, setting a precedent for similar interventions in other regions.