No abstract

No abstract

Accessibility to quality health care becomes a significant factor in improving the quality of life especially in developing countries. In spite of having a good health care infrastructure, the efficiency, quality and heavy cost of health care services is very weak in rural India. In such a scenario, the study attempts to analyze the availability, reach and spread of health infrastructure in rural areas of Punjab by examining the people's choice and the factors governing their choice in health providers. The study is based on a random sample survey done in Ramdas sub-tehsil of Amritsar district and the results indicate that in the border district of Punjab more than 76 per cent of respondents preferred private providers, even quacks due to factors like easy availability of health providers, fee charged by them, free medicines dispersed, monthly income of respondents etc. while only the very poor went to public providers.

IntroductionTardive dyskinesia (TD) is a persistent and potentially disabling movement disorder associated with prolonged exposure to antipsychotic medications that jeopardizes adherence to treatment and reduces quality of life. The recognition and management of TD can be challenging in many instances. An online activity was developed to assess the ability of continuing medical education (CME) to improve awareness of the recognition and management of TD among psychiatrists.MethodsThe online CME activity consisted of a 30-minute video discussion between three expert faculty. Educational effect was assessed by comparing a matched sample of psychiatrists’ responses to four identical questions pre- and post-activity. A chi-square test identified significant differences between pre- and post-assessment responses. Cramer’s V was used to calculate the effect size of the online education (≥ 0.16 is considerable). Data were collected between June 26 and August 6, 2019.ResultsActivity participation resulted in a considerable educational effect among psychiatrists (n=739; V=0.25, P<0.001). The following areas showed significant (P <0.05) pre- vs post-educational improvements: recognition of incidence of TD associated with different antipsychotic therapies, differentiation of TD from parkinsonism, and the personalized selection of therapies for the management of TD. 37% of psychiatrists had a measurable increase in confidence in understanding the role of the interprofessional team in recognizing TD after activity participation.ConclusionsThe results indicated that a CME-certified 30-minute video activity was effective at improving knowledge among psychiatrists for the recognition and management of TD. Future education should continue to address best practices in the care of patients with TD.FundingNeurocrine Bioscience, Inc

No abstract