Health workers’ perception of malaria rapid diagnostic test and factors influencing compliance with test results in Ebonyi state, Nigeria

Abstract Background Ghana has adopted the policy of diagnostically testing for malaria before treatment. The Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) is used to diagnose malaria especially in lower health facilities like Health Centers (HC) and Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compounds without microscopy. Studies have shown that clinicians do not always adhere to negative malaria test results of the RDT and prescribe anti-malarials. Methods Quantitative aspect focused on how malaria is diagnosed and adherence to negative rapid diagnostic test results using the consulting room register and patients’ folder of six health facilities within the period of July to September 2015. In-depth interviews using purposive sampling was conducted for 14 health workers at Health Centers and CHPS compounds to find out their perceptions about malaria RDT and reasons for adherence or non-adherence to test results.Results Of the six health facilities in the Agona East District, 3.87% (14/362) were presumptively diagnosed with malaria whiles 96.10% (348/362) were diagnosed with malaria using RDT.For those tested with RDT, 15.25% tested negative and 84.75% tested positive. Of those who tested negative, 20.75% were given anti-malarials and 79.25% did not receive anti-malarials. Health workers perceived the Malaria RDT kit as easy to use and also as making work easier. Testing is done mainly because it is a policy. Conclusion The malaria testing rate in the Agona East District is higher than that at the National level. Health Centers compared to CHPS compounds are likely to treat for malaria in cases of a negative test result. There is also high adherence to negative test results. Health workers perceive the RDT as a useful tool which has made malaria diagnosis easy.

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Clinical outcomes among febrile children aged 2 to 59 months with negative malaria rapid diagnostic test results in Mchinji District, Malawi

Malawi Medical Journal ◽

10.4314/mmj.v28i4.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 150

Author(s):

Dyson Mwandama ◽

Chawanangwa Mwale ◽

Andrew Bauleni ◽

Themba Phiri ◽

Joseph Chisaka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Diagnostic Test ◽

Rapid Diagnostic Test ◽

Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test ◽

Test Results

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PO 8248 DETERMINANTS OF ACCEPTABILITY OF MALARIA RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST AMONG HEALTH WORKERS IN KINTAMPO NORTH MUNICIPALITY, GHANA

BMJ Global Health ◽

10.1136/bmjgh-2019-edc.58 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (Suppl 3) ◽

pp. A23.1-A23

Author(s):

Michael Anaba ◽

Kenneth Ae-Ngebisi ◽

Seth Owusu Agyei ◽

Latifat Ibisomi

Keyword(s):

Technology Acceptance ◽

Diagnostic Test ◽

Rapid Diagnostic Test ◽

Health Workers ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Perceived Usefulness ◽

Normalisation Process Theory ◽

Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test ◽

Survey Tool

BackgroundGhana rolled out the policy in 2013 with the use of malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) promoted to facilitate diagnosis. However, health workers who are at the centre of mRDT implementation still treat half of febrile patients with negative mRDT results with antimalarial drugs, suggesting limited or lack of acceptability of the innovation.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study to examine determinants of mRDT among health workers in Kintampo North Municipality (KNM) in Ghana. Data were collected from 110 health workers in KNM involved in malaria management from February to April 2017. The survey tool was based on two frameworks – the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Normalisation Process Theory (NPT). Acceptability was measured by ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to use.We hypothesised that acceptability was influenced by coherence, cognitive participation, collective action, reflexive monitoring and respondent characteristics. A composite acceptability score was computed from a 21-item questionnaire for each respondent. The respondents were divided into three groups of low, moderate and high acceptability for ordered logistic regression to examine the relationship between acceptability and its determinants.ResultsThe median acceptability score was 84(Q1, Q3:68, 103). About 34% of health workers had low acceptability while 37% and 29% had moderate and high acceptability respectively. In the multivariable analysis, coherence (OR=1.23, 95%CI=1.11–1.37), cognitive participation (OR=1.35, 95%CI=1.10–1.66), health workers in rural health facilities (OR=6.99, 95%CI=1.82–26.84) and health workers with more than three years’ experience (OR=5.53, 95%CI=1.98–15.42) were more likely to have high mRDT acceptability.ConclusionAcceptability of mRDT was moderate among the majority. This can be improved by enhancing health workers’ coherence on the benefits of mRDT through policy building or dissemination of information, promoting health workers’ cognitive participation in the mRDT implementation process through recruitment of local ‘champions’ to promote ‘buy-in’ and providing incentives to health workers to embed and sustain the use of the health technology.

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