[Enabling intervention for active screening of respiratory symptomatic patients in two municipalities located in the City of Havana province].

Abstract

Objectives: to evaluate the feasibility and immediate effect of an enabling intervention to improve the active screening of respiratory symptomatic patients in groups at risk of suffering tuberculosis and the quality of filling in lab records.

Methods: a quasi-experimental-designed intervention study was conducted in two health areas of Boyeros municipality (Salvador Allende polyclinics and Federico Capdevila polyclinics). Two other areas were selected as controls in "10 de Octubre" municipality ("Turcios Lima" polyclinics and "Puente Uceda" polyclinics). Family physicians and nurses were then trained to identify patients with respiratory symptoms in the risk groups during home visits, finally sputum tests were indicated. A new model for lab recording was used. After 2 months, the ratio of detected respiratory symptomatic cases was estimated. The relative risk (95 % CI) was found. The percentage by type of screening, risk group and number of empty, misplaced and wrongly filled in items in the new model was calculated.

Results: after the intervention, the capabilities of physicians and nurses for detecting respiratory symptomatic patients in "Salvador Allende" health area was almost 2.5 times higher than before (RR= 2.4320) and in "Federico Capdevila" health area was almost 2 times higher (RR = 1.8112). Over 80 % of this improvement was due to active screening carried out almost completely (90 %) in risk groups. There were no misplaced or wrongly filled data, just empty items under 0.5%.

Conclusions: the enabling intervention proved to be immediate and effective in order to raise the active screening of respiratory symptomatic patients in risk groups and to improve the quality of filling in lab records.