Introduction to PAC Service Delivery Guidelines

Function

Service delivery guidelines should be developed to reflect national policies and standards. They contain the detailed technical information that health care providers will need to implement the national policy guidelines as they provide patient care.

Criteria Used in the Review of Service Delivery Guidelines

• Identify equipment, drugs, and supplies for provision of PAC services by the type of health care facility.
• Provide steps for the performance of PAC including referral and documentation of services.
• Provide the complete range of management options for incomplete abortion (expectant, medical, and surgical).
• Provide steps for all approved methods of uterine evacuation available, e.g., manual, pedal, electric pump, dilatation and curettage.
• Articulate postabortion counseling content to include risk assessment for future fertility desires, HIV and STI, anemia, and malaria.
• Provide steps for the management of complications related to incomplete abortion.
• Provide steps for facilitating community-provider partnership and community action (e.g., recognition of complications, first aid, transport, funding schemes).
• Provide instructions for maintaining equipment, drugs, and supplies for PAC service delivery.
• Provide instruction for infection prevention practices for delivery of safe PAC services.
• Provide guidance for management, logistics, and supervision, including performance assessment tools.
• Provide monitoring and evaluation indicators, guidance for completing recordkeeping forms; guidance for what data is appropriate for various audiences (e.g., policy personnel, provider, and supervisors), and guidance for the use of service delivery data for decision-making.

Download Service Delivery Guidelines section from the PAC Global Resources Guide

Directives pour la prestation de services de soins après avortement (French)

Lineamientos para la prestación de servicios de Atención Post Aborto (Spanish)

Руководства по предоставлению услуг по ПАУ (Russian)

Note:

The USAID PAC model now includes STI evaluation and HIV counseling and/or referral for counseling and testing dependent upon country prevalence and available resources (human and financial). Should your country decide to include STI and HIV services, then the service delivery guidelines must include the prevention and management of STI, HIV, and AIDS for clients receiving care. Service delivery guidelines should be consistent with the facility’s capacity and available referral options for STI evaluation and treatment and HIV counseling and testing.