Download Field Visit to Learn About Drug Use

Session Guide
Field Visit to
Learn About Drug Use
FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
SESSION GUIDE
Field Visit to Identify Data Sources:
Learning 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, and to 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 local public health facilities, either a
district hospital, district medical stores, 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 unit 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 Exercise Three in the session Learning
About a Drug Use Problem.
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FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
SESSION GUIDE
ACTIVITY ONE
Visit to 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
One that identifies the members of the team and the facility visited.
After initial discussions have been held, 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. For example, 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.
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 Two and Worksheet Three to help guide your activities. These are
similar to the worksheets you prepared during the session on Learning About Drug Use.
Use Worksheet Two as the basis for assembling 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 Three 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 FOR THE
VISIT WHICH CAN BE SENT AFTER YOUR RETURN
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FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
SESSION GUIDE
WORKSHEET 1
Identification of Sites Visited
Name of Site Visited:
Date Visited: ___/___/___
Visitors:
Name of Person in Charge:
Address:
Telephone Number:
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FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
SESSION GUIDE
WORKSHEET 2
Quantitative Sources of Data to Learn Drug Use
DATA SOURCE
AVAILABILITY
NO
YES (DESCRIBE)
A. Drug Supply or Drug Consumption
Facility drug
supply orders /
delivery receipts
Pharmacy stock
cards / pharmacy
ledger book
Pharmacy sales
receipts / patient
co-payment
records
Other (describe):
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FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
DATA SOURCE
SESSION GUIDE
AVAILABILITY
NO
YES (DESCRIBE)
A. Prescribing Practice
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):
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FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
DATA SOURCE
SESSION GUIDE
AVAILABILITY
NO
YES (DESCRIBE)
A. Distribution of Health Problems
Routine health
information
system (with
reports by
diagnosis)
Patient registers /
treatment logs
(with complaint or
diagnosis)
Community
morbidity surveys
Other (describe):
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FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
DATA SOURCE
SESSION GUIDE
AVAILABILITY
NO
YES (DESCRIBE)
D. Community Drug Use
Household drug
use surveys
Records of private
practitioners
Drug receipts at
private
pharmacies
Drug sales data at
health facilities or
private
pharmacies
Other (describe):
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FIELD VISIT TO LEARN ABOUT DRUG USE
SESSION GUIDE
WORKSHEET 3
Qualitative Sources of Data to Learn About Drug Use
FACTOR EFFECTING
DRUG USE
HOW TO LEARN ABOUT THIS FACTOR
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.)
COMMENTS:
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