Interactive Peer Groups and Motivational SMS - Incorrect Malaria Treatment down 4%

Wed, 06/01/2022 - 07:17

0 comments

Strategy researched

Training in small interactive peer-group sessions with motivational SMS at later stages

Impact achieved

4% reduction in patients being incorrectly prescribed a recommended antimalarial drug compared to the control group.

Country of study

Tanzania

Research methodology

3-arm stratified cluster-randomized trial with 44,121 participants

Journal

BMC Medicine; 2015

Journal paper title and link

Prescriber and patient-oriented behavioural interventions to improve use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Tanzania: facility-based cluster randomised trial

Excerpt from Abstract

"Standard RDT [rapid diagnostic test] training reduced pre-trial levels of antimalarial prescribing, which was sustained throughout the trial. Both interventions significantly lowered incorrect prescribing of recommended antimalarials from 8% (749/8,942) in the standard training arm to 2% (250/10,118) in the HW [health worker] arm (adjusted RD (aRD) 4%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1% to 6%; P = 0.008) and 2% (184/10,163) in the HWP arm (aRD 4%; 95% CI 1% to 6%; P = 0.005). Small group training and SMS were incrementally effective. There was also a significant reduction in the prescribing of antimalarials to RDT-negatives but no effect on RDT-positives receiving an ACT [artemisinin-based combination therapy]. Antibiotic prescribing was significantly lower in the HWP [HW-patient] arm but had increased in all arms compared with pre-trial levels."

Translation - see line 8

Summary at this link

Add new comment

Your Priorities, Opportunities and Challenges? Complete the SURVEY

Why the focus on direct impact data?

A common challenge from policy makers, funders, community members, people directly experiencing development issues, and governments is: Demonstrate your Impact. Prove that what you are doing works. The high quality, highly credible data presented on the cards below is designed to help you answer that question for your social change, behaviour change, community engagement, communication and media for development, strategy formulation, policy engagement and funding initiatives. At this link filter the research data to your specific interests and priorities

Why a playing cards design?

There is a physical pack of cards with this data (to get a copy please request through the comment form for any card). The card approach allows for easy identification and selection of relevant direct impact data in any context. For example if talking with a donor and you need to identify proof of impact say "take a look at the 7 of Hearts". Quick access can be provided to high-quality data for many areas of your work – funding, planning, policy, advocacy, community dialogue, training, partner engagement, and more. A card deck is also engaging, easy to use and share, a conversation starter, and a resource - and they are fun and different. So we kept that design for the online images as it can serve similar purposes.