Table 4.
Diagnostic Questions Asked and Diagnosis and Treatment Given in SP-Practitioner Interactionsa
| SP-Practitioner Interaction | SP With Diarrhea (n = 178) | SP With Pneumonia (n = 162) |
|---|---|---|
| Key Diagnostic Questions and Examinations | ||
| Age of child | 166 (93.3) | 156 (96.3) |
| Nature of stool | 81 (45.5) | NA |
| Frequency of stool | 53 (29.8) | NA |
| Quantity of stool | 21 (11.8) | NA |
| Questions about urination | 4 (2.2) | NA |
| Child is active/playful | 5 (2.8) | NA |
| Fever | 28 (15.7) | NA |
| Abdominal pain | 33 (18.5) | NA |
| Vomiting | 38 (21.3) | NA |
| What has the child eaten | 20 (11.2) | NA |
| Taking fluids | 23 (12.9) | NA |
| Fever | NA | 99 (61.1) |
| Breathing is rapid | NA | 44 (27.2) |
| Difficulty in breathing/nostrils flaring/skin between ribs moves inward/neck muscles are strained | NA | 40 (24.7) |
| Type of cough | NA | 56 (34.6) |
| Runny/blocked nose | NA | 23 (14.2) |
| Sounds while breathing | NA | 12 (7.4) |
| Child is weak | NA | 7 (4.3) |
| Breastfeeding/immunization history | NA | 11 (6.8) |
| Other Questions | ||
| Father was asked to bring the child to clinic | 42 (23.6) | 53 (32.7) |
| Counseling on hygiene, especially washing hands | 4 (2.2) | NA |
| Asked if other children have similar symptoms | NA | 3 (1.9) |
| Diagnosis | ||
| Gave any diagnosis | 11 (6.2) | 19 (11.7) |
| Correct diagnosis | 6 (3.4) | 13 (8.0) |
| Correct diagnosis, if anyb | 6 (54.5) | 13 (68.4) |
| Treatment | ||
| Gave any treatment | 165 (92.7) | 128 (79.0) |
| Correct treatment | 0 | 21 (13.0) |
| Correct treatment, if anyc | 0 | 21 (16.4) |
| Length of SP Interaction, Questions Asked, and Medicines Prescribed, Mean (SD) | ||
| Visit length, min | 1.6 (1.7) | 2.9 (3.8) |
| Total No. of 12 essential questions asked by practitioners | 2.7 (1.9) | 2.8 (1.6) |
| No. of medicines prescribed/dispensed | 1.8 (1.1) | 2.2 (1.4) |
Abbreviations: NA, not applicable; SP, standardized patient.
a
Unless otherwise indicated, data are expressed as number (percentage) of practitioners. Data were obtained from the SP exit interview.
b
Indicates of the 11 practitioners who gave any diagnosis in the diarrhea vignette and the 19 practitioners who gave any diagnosis in the pneumonia vignette.
c
Indicates of the 165 practitioners who gave any treatment in the diarrhea vignette and the 128 practitioners who gave any treatment in the pneumonia vignette.