Health Cards (2)
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Dear Bill (and Afro-Nets friends)
Before developing a card of this sort, would it not be worthwhile
conducting a systematic review of the effects of such hand carried
information on patient health?
Although it may seem logical that these cards provide good, relevant high
quality info, that other carers will use this info, and that their use of
it will result in better decisions and choices of therapy, and these in
turn will improve patient health, you can see that the presumptive causal
chain is a long one.
Since the long term cost of these cards, not only the printing of them,
which you mention, but also the health worker time in filling them out, and
the patient response to them all may be costly, you are obliged to consider
whether the costs are outweighed by the benefits. Since developing
countries like ours easily become obsessed with new record systems, it is
vital that they will improve health. Please, for the benefit of the people
you are hoping to help, please evaluate the impact of other similar
records, such as the growth charts, and the effects of your own card,
before announcing that you have a health improving initiative.
Thanks,
Merrick Zwarenstein
Division Head,
Health Systems Division,
Centre for Epidemiological Research in Southern Africa
Medical Research Council
PO BOX 19070, Tygerberg, South Africa, 7505.
STREET ADRESS:
Fransie van Zyl Drive, Parow, South Africa, 7500
Tel. +27-21-938-0247
Fax +27-21-938-0342
mailto:mzwaren@eagle.mrc.ac.za
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