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Malaria case detection using rapid diagnostic test at the community level in Ghana: consumer perception and practitioners’ experiences

Overview of attention for article published in Malaria Journal, January 2016
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Title
Malaria case detection using rapid diagnostic test at the community level in Ghana: consumer perception and practitioners’ experiences
Published in
Malaria Journal, January 2016
DOI 10.1186/s12936-016-1086-z
Pubmed ID
Authors

Daniel A. Danquah, Kwame O. Buabeng, Kwaku P. Asante, Emmanuel Mahama, Constance Bart-Plange, Ellis Owusu-Dabo

Abstract

Ghana has scaled-up malaria control strategies over the past decade. Much as malaria morbidity and mortality seem to have declined with these efforts, there appears to be increased consumption of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). This study explored the perception and experiences of community members and medicines outlet practitioners on malaria case detection using rapid diagnostic test (RDTs) to guide malaria therapy. This was a cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative approaches for data. In-depth interviews with structured questionnaires were conducted among 197 practitioners randomly selected from community pharmacies and over-the-counter medicine sellers shops within two metropolis (Kumasi and Obuasi) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Two focus group discussions were also held in the two communities among female adult caregivers. Medicine outlet practitioners and community members often used raised body temperature of individuals as an index for malaria case detection. The raised body temperature was presumptively determined by touching the forehead with hands. Seventy percent of the practitioners' perceived malaria RDTs are used in hospitals and clinics but not in retail medicines outlets. Many of the practitioners and community members agreed to the need for using RDT for malaria case detection at medicine outlets. However, about 30 % of the practitioners (n = 59) and some community members (n = 6) held the view that RDT negative results does not mean no malaria illness and would use ACT. Though malaria RDT use in medicines outlets was largely uncommon, both community members and medicine outlet practitioners welcomed its use. Public education is however needed to improve malaria case detection using RDTs at the community level, to inform appropriate use of ACT.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 115 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United Kingdom 1 <1%
United States 1 <1%
South Africa 1 <1%
Unknown 112 97%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 29 25%
Researcher 10 9%
Student > Bachelor 10 9%
Student > Doctoral Student 8 7%
Student > Postgraduate 7 6%
Other 23 20%
Unknown 28 24%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 31 27%
Nursing and Health Professions 16 14%
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 7 6%
Social Sciences 7 6%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 5 4%
Other 16 14%
Unknown 33 29%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 05 February 2016.
All research outputs
#18,436,183
of 22,840,638 outputs
Outputs from Malaria Journal
#5,048
of 5,572 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#285,815
of 395,188 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Malaria Journal
#149
of 178 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,840,638 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 11th percentile – i.e., 11% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,572 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.8. This one is in the 4th percentile – i.e., 4% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 178 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 9th percentile – i.e., 9% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.