The exit interview as a proxy measure of malaria case management practice: sensitivity and specificity relative to direct observation.

Journal: BMC health services research

Volume: 14

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 2016

Affiliated Institutions:  Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), PO Box , Goroka, EHP , Papua New Guinea. justin.pulford@pngimr.org.pg. Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), PO Box , Goroka, EHP , Papua New Guinea. peter.siba@pngimr.org.pg. Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain. ivomueller@fastmail.fm. Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), PO Box , Goroka, EHP , Papua New Guinea. manuel.hetzel@unibas.ch.

Abstract summary 

This paper aims to assess the sensitivity and specificity of exit interviews as a measure of malaria case management practice as compared to direct observation.The malaria case management of 1654 febrile patients attending 110 health facilities from across Papua New Guinea was directly observed by a trained research officer as part of a repeat cross sectional survey. Patient recall of 5 forms of clinical advice and 5 forms of clinical action were then assessed at service exit and statistical analyses on matched observation/exit interview data conducted.The sensitivity of exit interviews with respect to clinical advice ranged from 36.2% to 96.4% and specificity from 53.5% to 98.6%. With respect to clinical actions, sensitivity of the exit interviews ranged from 83.9% to 98.3% and specificity from 70.6% to 98.1%.The exit interview appears to be a valid measure of objective malaria case management practices such as the completion of a diagnostic test or the provision of antimalarial medication, but may be a less valid measure of low frequency, subjective practices such as the provision of malaria prevention advice.

Authors & Co-authors:  Pulford Justin J Siba Peter M PM Mueller Ivo I Hetzel Manuel W MW

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria. 2. Geneva: WHO; 2010.
Authors :  4
Identifiers
Doi : 628
SSN : 1472-6963
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Adolescent
Other Terms
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
Guinea
Publication Country
England