Primary Care Physicians’ Adherence To IMCI Guidelines , Ismailia , Egypt

Abstract

Introduction: The health of children under five remains worrying in developing countries. Between 1990 and 2015, WHO and UNIC EF, have designed a strategy known as Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI). It includes a set of clinical guidelines designed for use in resource-limited countries by health care workers. The factors involved in a physician's adherence to guidelines include, lack of familiarity, characteristics of the health care practice setting, physician perception of guidelines' usefulness, and incentives. Aim: is To improve physician adherence to IMCI guidelines. Methodology: a direct observation checklist was used to assess physician adherence to IMCI guidelines at child encounter, while another questionnaire was used to assess physician perception of IMCI at Primary care setting. Results: physicians’ performance and adherence to IMCI protocol was; 100% of physicians achieved accepted performance in both classification & treatment, 86.1% had accepted performance in evaluation of cases but 0% achieved accepted performance in communication; and so the total performance (overall adherence) accepted in only 41.7% of physicians. Conclusion: family physicians should be required to undergo frequent IMCI training with special attention to communication tips, Post training follow up conducted to determine the gap in training, providing practice manual of IMCI protocol as well as ensuring available equipments of IMCI guidelines in the PHCU.