Importance of Appropriate Counselling in Reducing Early Discontinuation of Norplant in a Northern District of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has achieved a considerable decline in fertility level in the past four decades through a strong family planning programme in spite of its poor social and economic growth. However, discontinuation of contraceptive methods and decline in the use of long-acting and permanent methods (LAPMs) are still the major concerns of the family planning programmes. This paper describes various factors that lead to the acceptance of the long-term method—Norplant and those that lead to early discontinuation. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB), Dinajpur, during March–June 2005 among 73 women who visited the clinic to remove their Norplant before its usual duration (5 years). The women were in the 25-31 years age-group—around two-thirds of them (57.5%) without formal education, and three-fourths of them (75.3%) were housewives. Most of them had been married for nine years, on average, and had two and/or more children. Sixty-seven percent of the women experienced regular menstruation, and 95% had used other contraceptive methods prior to using Norplant. Past users of Norplant were the single-most important source of information for about threefourths of the women (74%); half of the women (51%) had discussed the method with their husbands, and majority (96%) of the husbands were informed about the women’s decision on accepting the method before its implantation. All women were aware about the usual length of the effectiveness of Norplant. The most common reason for early removal of Norplant was menstrual disorder (59%), followed by desire for children (16%), husband’s death, for abandonment or residing abroad (8%), anorexia, nausea, vomiting (7%), weight gain (4%), husband’s objection (3%), and religious beliefs (3%). Service providers should properly counsel the couple before providing any contraceptive method, informing them about method-related side-effects and clearing any religious misconceptions. They should also explore the perception of women as well as their partners’ desire for children; couples who would like to have a baby within a year or two can be encouraged to use a short-term method that can be more easily discontinued.

Criterios o elementos determinantes de la libre escogencia de EPS e IPS en Bogotá D. C. por parte de los usuarios del régimen contributivo / Critérios ou elementos determinantes da livre escolha de eps e ips em bogotá D.C. Pelos usuários do regime contributivo / Determining criteria for free choice of health promotion entities and health providing institutions (Eps and Ips in Spanish) in the users of the contributive regime of Bogota, Colombia

En el presente artículo se aborda el análisis de la problemática del Sistema de Seguridad Social en Salud, centrándose en la problemática que se desprende de las relaciones del sistema con sus usuarios, aspecto éste que ha permanecido desatendido en los estudios y en los análisis sobre el tema. En particular se analizan los criterios y los aspectos determinantes que definen la elección de EPS (Entidades Promotoras de Salud) e IPS (Instituciones Prestadores de Servicios de Salud) por parte de los usuarios del régimen contributivo en la ciudad de Bogotá, prestando particular atención al ejercicio de la libre elección y la toma de decisiones informadas. El análisis de los resultados cualitativos y cuantitativos permite concluir que la información relevante disponible y el ejercicio de la libre elección son limitados.

This paper presents the analysis of the problems in Social Security and Health System due to the relations of the system with its users; problems that have been neglected in the studies and in the analyses on this subject. The determining criteria and aspects that define the election of Health Promotion Entities (EPS) and health providing institutions (IPS ) by the users of Bogota are analyzed whereby free election and an informed decision are pointed out. The analysis of the qualitative and quantitative results allows concluding that the available information and the exercise of the free election are limited.

No presente artigo analisa-se o Sistema de Seguridade Social em saúde concentrando-se na problemática que surge a partir das relações do sistema com os seus usuários, aspecto que tem sido negligenciado nos estudos e nas análises sobre o assunto. Em particular analisam-se os critérios e aspectos determinantes que definem a escolha da EPS (Entidades Promotoras de Saúde) e IPS (Instituições Prestadoras de Serviços de Saúde) pelos usuários do regime contributivo na cidade de Bogotá, com especial atenção ao exercício da liberdade de escolha e a tomada de decisão informada. A análise dos resultados qualitativos e quantitativos permite chegar à conclusão de que as informações relevantes disponíveis e o exercício da livre escolha são limitados.

Characteristic analysis for informed choice of dental patients / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective Probing into the "informed choice" and its features for patients in dentist clinics for the purposes of optimizing clinical practice and reducing doctor-patient disputes, for a better patient satisfaction.Methods Questionnaire are designed for a random sampling among 106 outpatients in the dentist clinic, studying the conflict, support factors and information channels of informed choices available for dentistry patients.Results The 100 questionnaires recovered indicate that patients at large are faced with conflicts in informed choice, and they tend to seek doctor's advice for comparison among different treatments.Conclusion Dental patients deserve "informed choice", as this may guide clinical practices and improve patient satisfaction, for a more harmonious doctor-patient relationship.