Acceptability of malaria rapid diagnostic test among health workers in Kintampo North municipality, Ghana

Research suggests that treatment of malaria is not evidenced based resulting in malaria parasites becoming resistant to antimalarial drugs. WHO recommends a malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) for implementing the policy of test-based management of malaria to avoid inaccurate diagnosis and misuse of antimalarial drugs. Ghana adopted the “Test-BeforeTreat” guideline to facilitate the diagnosis for malaria with mRDT. However, Health Workers (HWs) still treat half of febrile patients with negative malaria results with antimalarial drugs suggesting limited or lack of acceptability of the intervention. This study sought to measure the level of mRDT acceptability and examine its associated determinants among HWs in the Kintampo North Municipality (KNM) of Ghana. To successfully implement mRDT for test based management of malaria, HWs need to be equipped, resourced individually as well as the social or organizational context within which they work. In addition, programme implementers and policy makers must consider the roles of HWs and the how mRDT fit with their existing skill-sets. Furthermore, supervision and technical support of HWs is essential to facilitate transition to test based management with mRDT

This study employed a cross-sectional study design from February to April, 2017. Data on mRDT acceptability, its determinants and user characteristics were collected from 110 HWs in KNM involved in malaria management. The survey tool was based on two frameworks – the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Normalization Process Theory (NPT). The latter proposed coherence, collective action, cognitive participation and reflexive monitoring as determinants for the implementation of the health intervention. A composite acceptability score was computed from a 21-item questionnaire for each respondent. Composite scores were also computed for the key determinants as well as median and interquartile ranges. The respondents were divided into three equal groups (tertiles) for ordered logistic regression to examine the relationship between acceptability and its determinants.

Project Details

Diagnostics
Operational Research
Social Science

Jan 2017

Ghana