Field Visit-Sg

Field Visit to Learn about Drug Use Session Guide Field Visit to Learn about Drug Use

SESSION GUIDE

PURPOSE AND CONTENT

The purpose of this field visit is to observe what the system of care is like in local health facilities. You will also identify and examine possible sources of data about drug use that are available at the facility or in the setting you are visiting.

Your group will be assigned to visit one or more public health facilities, either a district hospital, district medical store, health center, or health sub-center. In addition, each group should plan to visit at least one private retail outlet that sells drugs.

OBJECTIVES

This session will develop your ability to— 1. Identify potential quantitative and qualitative sources of data available about drug use in a variety of local health facilities. 2. Plan the logistical aspects of the data collection process in these facilities.

PREPARATION

Preparation was completed as part of Activity 3 in the session “Learning about a Drug Use Problem.” SESSION GUIDE FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE

ACTIVITY 1

Visit to a Local Health Facility

Your group leader should introduce the group members to the facility staff and explain the purpose of the visit. Your group leader should fill in the information on Worksheet 1 that identifies the members of the team and the facility visited.

After initial discussions, you may wish to divide up into smaller groups and visit different areas of the facility to identify possible sources of data about drug use. Nevertheless, in a health center, you might all wish to visit the patient registration area, waiting area, consultation room, medical records room (if any), and dispensary. If so, you may go in smaller groups or a rotating basis.

You are expected to identify sources of quantitative and qualitative data. For quantitative data, you are looking for both historical data on drug use (records of various types) and opportunities for collecting concurrent data, for example, by intercepting patients after they receive treatment. For qualitative data, you are looking for both people and opportunities. Who is there at the facility that you might talk to and learn from? What would you have to do to talk to them? What opportunities are there to observe different aspects of the operation of the health facility that could inform you about problems of drug use?

Use Worksheet 2 and Worksheet 3 to help guide your activities. These are similar to the worksheets you prepared during the session on “Learning about Drug Use.”

Use Worksheet 2 to assemble a description of quantitative data. If a particular type of data is available at the facility, briefly describe what it contains, where it is located, and how it is organized. Use Worksheet 3 as a record of the possible sources of qualitative data. Identify opportunities for learning about specific factors that underlie certain drug use problems.

You do not need to rush. You will have enough time to examine the data sources carefully so that you can report clearly in the afternoon. Take the time to talk to staff and patients if you can do so without disrupting the functioning of the facility. For this report, imagine that you have to explain to someone who has never been to the facility how he or she should collect the information.

At the end of the visit, please regroup and spend time thanking the staff members for their assistance.

AS A GROUP, YOU SHOULD ALSO DRAFT A THANK-YOU LETTER TO SEND AFTER YOUR VISIT.

2 SESSION GUIDE FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE

WORKSHEET 1

Identification of Sites Visited

Name of Site Visited:

Date Visited: ___/___/___

Visitors:

Name of Person in Charge:

Address:

Telephone Number:

WORKSHEET 2

Quantitative Sources of Data to Learn about Drug Use

AVAILABILITY DATA SOURCE NO YES (DESCRIBE)

Facility drug supply orders / delivery receipts

Pharmacy stock cards / pharmacy ledger book

Pharmacy sales receipts / patient co-payment records

Other (describe):

Previous surveys of drug prescribing

Patient registers (with data on prescribed drugs)

Clinical record book / provider treatment log

Prescription receipts / pharmacy dispensing records

Patient medical records (with data on prescribed drugs)

Other (describe):

Routine health information system (with reports by diagnosis)

Patient registers / treatment logs (with complaint or diagnosis)

Community morbidity surveys

Other (describe):

Household drug use surveys

Records of private practitioners

Drug receipts at private pharmacies

Drug sales data at health facilities or private pharmacies

Other (describe):

WORKSHEET 3

Qualitative Sources of Data to Learn about Drug Use

FACTOR AFFECTING HOW TO LEARN ABOUT THIS FACTOR DRUG USE AT THIS FACILITY

Quality of the diagnostic process

Therapeutic knowledge

Communication between patients and providers about treatment

Patient satisfaction with treatment

Influence of drug marketing and industry representatives

Peer norms and local standards of care

Influence of the work environment (workload, drug availability, etc.)

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