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PCAT For Sub-Saharan Africa

The Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) is a simple survey that asks people about their experience of care at clinics and health centres. It helps health systems understand whether services are doing well in meeting people’s needs, and where improvements are needed.

Originally developed in the United States, the tool has been adapted for use in sub-Saharan Africa through a collaboration of local researchers, health professionals, and community members. The African version of PCAT is used in 11 countries and is available in several languages. It collects information from patients just after they leave a consultation, giving voice to those who use primary care services the most.

The PCAT focuses on what matters to patients: being able to get help when they need it, seeing a provider who knows them over time, receiving care that is complete and joined up across different services, and being treated with respect. The results are used by healthcare teams, planners, and policymakers to strengthen primary care and support progress toward universal health coverage.

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PCAT Domains

Accessible

PCAT explores whether people can get the care they need when they need it, including after-hours services, weekend availability, short waiting times, and affordable, convenient access to primary care.

Coordinated

It considers whether care is well organised across different services, including referrals to specialists, communication between providers, follow-up after hospital visits, and collaboration with community health workers.

Continuous

The tool examines whether people are seen by the same provider over time, whether their health history is known, and whether there is an ongoing relationship that supports trust, follow-up, and continuity of care.

Person-centred

PCAT focuses on whether care is respectful, responsive, and tailored to each person’s needs and preferences, including being listened to, involved in decisions, given clear information, and treated with dignity and compassion.

Comprehensive

It assesses whether a wide range of health services are available at the facility, including prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, mental health support, and care for chronic and acute conditions across the life course.

Workstreams

1. Tools

This focuses on tool development and adaptation for local use by translating it into multiple languages. We also include the development of digital systems for data collection and reporting.

2. Data

This workstream involves measuring key aspects of primary care through structured patient surveys conducted at public health facilities across 11 sub-Saharan African countries.

3. Stakeholders

This brings the data back to communities, engaging health managers, and providers, in interpreting the results and designing practical plans to improve the quality of care.

Together, these efforts aim to strengthen primary health care and support progress toward universal health coverage.