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Table 3 Cluster randomized controlled analysis based on the post-intervention cross-sectional survey investigating the consultation process: comparison between 6 intervention and 3 control health facilities.

From: Reduction of anti-malarial consumption after rapid diagnostic tests implementation in Dar es Salaam: a before-after and cluster randomized controlled study

  

Interventionhealth facilities

N = 637

Controlhealth facilities

N = 330

Risk ratio(accounting for clustering)

 

n*

% (95% CI)

n*

% (95% CI)

Risk ratio (95% CI)

p-value

Effect of mRDT implementation on anti-malarial treatment

   Patients treated with anti-malarials:

      

All patients

618

22% (19-25)

318

60% (54-65)

0.30 (0.14 - 0.70)

0.007

Patients complaining of fever

473

26% (22-30)

253

65% (59-71)

0.31 (0.16 - 0.67)

0.004

Patients not complaining of fever

145

9% (4-14)

65

38% (26-51)

0.23 (0.10 - 0.55)

0.001

Effect of mRDT implementation on adherence to malaria test result

   Patients treated with anti-malarials:

      

Patients with a positive malaria test

96

100% (100-100)

155

100% (100-100)

1

N.A

Patients with a negative malaria test

412

7% (5-10)

128

25% (17-33)

0.09 (0.01 - 0.79)

0.03

Effect of mRDT implementation on selection for malaria testing

   Patients tested for malaria:

      

All patients

637

82% (79-85)

330

89% (86-92)

0.93 (0.86 - 1.04)

0.2

Patients complaining of fever

487

90% (88-93)

263

95% (93-98)

0.95 (0.91 - 0.99)

0.03

Patients not complaining of fever

150

57% (49-65)

67

64% (52-76)

0.91 (0.69 - 1.26)

0.5

Effect of mRDT implementation on antibiotic treatment

   Patients treated with antibiotics:

      

All patients

618

71% (67-74)

318

53% (48-59)

1.34 (1.08 - 1.70)

0.006

Patients complaining of fever

473

71% (67-76)

253

52% (46-58)

1.44 (1.09 - 1.94)

0.008

Patients not complaining of fever

145

68% (61-76)

65

58% (46-71)

1.17 (0.94 - 1.49)

0.2

Patients with a positive malaria test

96

32% (23-42)

155

28% (21-36)

1.14 (0.77 - 1.66)

0.5

Patients with a negative malaria test

412

77% (73-81)

128

74% (67-82)

1.05 (0.91 - 1.26)

0.5

Effect of mRDT implementation on other laboratory tests than malaria

Patient tested for urine infection

637

9% (7-11)

330

11% (8-15)

0.73 (0.34 - 1.58)

0.4

Patient tested for typhoid (Widal)

637

2% (1-3)

330

8% (5-11)

0.29 (0.04 - 1.97)

0.2

Patient tested for stool parasites

637

7% (5-9)

330

5% (3-8)

1.27 (0.50 - 3.29)

0.6

  1. * numbers differ from total sample size because of the variables applying to different subpopulations of patients (and for drugs because a few patients who did not come back from laboratory to get treatment).