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Small group intervention vs formal seminar for improving appropriate drug use
B Santoso1, S Suryawati, J E Prawaitasari
1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|April 1, 1996
Summary
Educational interventions improved drug prescribing for acute diarrhea in Indonesian health centers. Both face-to-face and seminar approaches reduced antimicrobial and antidiarrheal use, with seminars showing a greater impact.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
- Infectious Disease Management
Background:
- Acute diarrhea remains a significant health concern, particularly in resource-limited settings.
- Inappropriate drug use, including antimicrobials and antidiarrheals, complicates acute diarrhea management.
- Effective interventions are needed to improve prescriber practices for acute diarrhea.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of two educational interventions—small group face-to-face and formal seminar—on improving drug prescribing for acute diarrhea.
- To assess the impact of these interventions on the use of antimicrobials, antidiarrheals, and oral rehydration solutions (ORS).
- To compare the effectiveness and cost-feasibility of the two intervention methods.
Main Methods:
- A controlled study was conducted in 6 districts in Indonesia, involving 15 health centers per district.
- Districts were randomized into three groups: small group face-to-face intervention, formal seminar intervention, and control.
- Prescribing practices for children under five with acute diarrhea were surveyed before and after a single intervention session, with no follow-up.
Main Results:
- Both interventions significantly reduced antimicrobial and antidiarrheal usage, with seminars showing a greater reduction in antidiarrheal use.
- Small-group interventions led to a significantly greater reduction in antimicrobial usage compared to seminars.
- A trend towards increased oral rehydration solution (ORS) usage was observed but did not reach statistical significance; no changes occurred in the control group.
Conclusions:
- Both educational interventions were effective in improving prescribers' knowledge and partially improving drug use for acute diarrhea.
- Formal seminars demonstrated a greater impact on reducing antidiarrheal use, while face-to-face interventions were more effective for antimicrobials.
- The face-to-face intervention, being less costly, may be a feasible option for integration into existing health system supervision structures.