RESUMO
Background: Self-treatment is recognized as one of the global public health issues. Geographical distance, constrained financial resources, and lack of awareness are the main barriers for people in remote areas to access health care. Self-treatment may also have risky consequences such as side effects and antibiotic resistance. It is assumed that the rate of self-treatment is high in the unreachable hilly tribal areas because of the geographical factor. Aim and Objective: The primary objective of the present study is to find out the prevalence and reason of self-medication, and the sources of drug information. The secondary objective is to assess the awareness of routine medical check-up among the tribal population of the hilly areas of the Koraput district of Odisha. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted after receiving clearance from the Institutional Ethical Committee, SLN MCH, Koraput. The study was conducted from February 2022 in some hilly villages near Koraput, which is a typical mountainous commune with the terrain divided by many mountains. Simple random sampling was done using computer software for selecting participants (sample size: 200). The participants were contacted and our interviewer visited door-to-door for face-to-face interviews. The research team developed a structured questionnaire to use in the face-to-face interviews. The questionnaire included questions about demographic characteristics, access to medical facilities, frequency of routine medical check-ups in the past 12 months, health information sources, and distance to the nearest health facility. A series of questions regarding self-treatment practices were also asked: Whether they had purchased any medication without prescription in the past 3 months, what the symptoms were, and what kind of medicines they bought, and the reasons they bought the medicines on their own. Results: The study found that prevalence of self-medication was 92 (46%, C.I. 95%). The majority of residents had self-medication when they suffered from common cold and cough (16% of participants), fever (8%), diarrhea (6%), body pain or myalgia (8%), and allergy (2%). The most prevalent groups of drugs used were antipyretics such as paracetamol (36%), antibiotics (30%), antihistamines (14%), and analgesics such as diclofenac and nimesulide (26%). The most common reason for choosing a local practitioner or private pharmacist and health worker was the subjects’ proximity to them. Of the self-medicated population in our study, 62% procured medicines from local practitioners, chemists, or health workers residing in their villages or nearby villages. Conclusion: Rational use of drugs requires that patients receive medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their own individual requirements for an adequate period of time and at the lowest cost to them and their community. Self-medication unfortunately does not follow the standard, scientific, and rational criteria. Due to self-medication quality of medicine, scientific, and rational procurement, rational prescription is always questionable.
RESUMO
Background: As part of series of advocacy on development of diabetes register, one of the target health facilities is private general practices. In suburban Kwale community Delta State, Donak hospital was chosen to study the process of developing and implementing diabetes register program. Specific objectives include to evaluate the extent of completeness of data for patients follow-up, diabetes services within the private practice based on data collection, prevalence of high blood pressure, and patients’ compliance with medical appointments.Methods: The study followed a clinical observational method and after necessary ethical considerations, medical information was gotten from the record unit Donak Hospital, Kwale. The patients identified as potential diabetes or prediabetes were contacted for follow-up and 113 (65 females and 48 males) participants consented, all adults. Data collection were those required for a diabetes register proforma and were analyzed using Microsoft Excel Analysis Tool-pack. Results: There was no dedicated diabetes register per se except for usual medical records. The private practice has 100% record of contact details and blood pressure completeness for the participants. The scope of service offered to the patients was basically primary healthcare services. Over 50% of the participants have high blood pressure. On the patients’ compliance with medical check-up; only 23% of the participants complied with check-up appointments.Conclusions: The development of diabetes register in private practices can improve services. These services include documentation of appointments to enable follow-up strategies to encourage compliance to medical check-ups and a record diabetes education that may be provided.
RESUMO
In Indonesia, most cervical cancer patients seek medical help after the cancer has reached advanced stage (62 %). This has caused cervical cancer to contribute to 66 % of gynecological deaths.1 The objective of this study is to find out factors related to the delay of cervical cancer patients in seeking for medical help. This research employs quantitative and qualitative methods. Samples were obtained from all of the new cervical cancer patients who came for the first time between 2000 to 2001 and returned to the Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central General Hospital Jakarta from August until October 2001. It is concluded that variables significantly correlated with the delay for medical check up are knowledge, attitude, the availability of Pap smear service and husband support. The availability of Pap smear plays as dominant variabel.