Systematic screening to integrate reproductive health services in India

The study was conducted in large public clinics and small health posts in the city of Vadodara, India. The objective was to determine if women screened during clinic visits received more services, appointments, and referrals per visit than women who were not screened. The intervention consisted of the use of a brief screening algorithm, followed by the offer of the needed services. The study used a pre-test/post-test experimental and control group design. In experimental group clinics the number of services per visit increased by 22 percent while control clinics experienced a slight decrease. The additional services most frequently provided in experimental clinics were family planning and vaccinations. The effect of systematic screening was smaller in health posts than in clinics. In experimental posts, services per visit increased by nine percent compared to a decrease of 16 percent among controls. The municipality of Vadodara will begin systematic screening in all clinics. Gujarat state, where Vadodara is located, also plans to adopt the intervention. (Author abstract)