Improving access to medicines for non-communicable diseases in rural primary care: results from a quasi-randomized cluster trial in a district in South India.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A large proportion of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are treatable within primary health care (PHC) settings in a cost-effective manner. However, the utilization of PHCs for NCD care is comparatively low in India. The Access-to-Medicines (ATM) study examined whether (and how) interventions aimed at health service optimization alone or combined with community platform strengthening improve access to medicines at the primary health care level within the context of a local health system.

Method

A quasi-randomized cluster trial was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention (18 months) implemented across 39 rural PHCs (clusters) of three sub-districts of Tumkur in southern India. The intervention was allocated randomly in a 1:1:1 sequence across PHCs and c

SUBMITTER: Pati MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8336076 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature