Authors: Brimkulov, N.¹; Ottmani, S-E.²; Pio, A.³; Chubakov, T.¹; Sultanova, A.¹; Davletalieva, N.¹; Kalieva, A.¹; Rittman, J.⁴; Erhola, M.⁴; Cholurova, R.¹; Blanc, L.²

Source: The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Volume 13, Number 4, April 2009 , pp. 533-539(7)

Publisher: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

Abstract:

SETTING: Ambulatory health centres in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of training family doctors in Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL) techniques.

DESIGN: Comparison of the results of two surveys, before (baseline) and after (impact) training on PAL guidelines. Both surveys were carried out according to the same protocol.

RESULTS: A total of 86 family physicians working in three ambulatory health centres participated in both surveys. Respectively 893 and 992 respiratory patients were registered in the baseline and impact surveys. Baseline survey patients had longer duration of symptoms, were older and had more concomitant health conditions than impact survey patients. Findings suggest that PAL training has resulted in a decrease by one third in referrals to hospital or specialists or for diagnostic tests. Data do not show any improvement in tuberculosis case detection. However, in the impact survey, the number of drugs prescribed per patient decreased by 13.6% and the average cost of prescription of any drug per patient was reduced by 32.2%.

CONCLUSION: The study suggests that training in standardised PAL guidelines is likely to reduce referral as well as drug prescription costs for respiratory patients. These findings need to be confirmed by further studies.

Keywords: lung diseases; Practical Approach to Lung Health; primary health care; PAL feasibility test

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Ministry of Health, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 2: Stop TB Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland 3: Public Health and Respiratory Diseases, Mar Del Plata, Argentina 4: The Finland-Kyrgyzstan Lung Health Project, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Publication date: 2009-04-01

More about this publication?

• The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease publishes articles on all aspects of lung health, including public health-related issues such as training programmes, cost-benefit analysis, legislation, epidemiology, intervention studies and health systems research. The IJTLD is dedicated to the continuing education of physicians and health personnel and the dissemination of information on tuberculosis and lung health world-wide.

  Certain IJTLD articles are selected for translation into French, Spanish, Chinese or Russian. They are available on the Union website

• Editorial Board
• Information for Authors
• Subscribe to this Title
• ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Internal Medicine
• By this author: Brimkulov, N. ;  Ottmani, S-E. ;  Pio, A. ;  Chubakov, T. ;  Sultanova, A. ;  Davletalieva, N. ;  Kalieva, A. ;  Rittman, J. ;  Erhola, M. ;  Cholurova, R. ;  Blanc, L.

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers