ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS OF TB POSTING DURING THE COMPULSORY ROTATORY RESIDENTIAL INTERNSHIP (CRRI) PROGRAMME

Abstract

Research Question: What is the effectiveness of TB posting during the Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) programme? Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of TB posting during the CRRI programme. To find out the need of making Tuberculosis & Respiratory Diseases Department posting mandatory during CRRI Programme. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Study Duration: 12 months i.e. 01st April 2009 till 31st March 2010 Participants: 90 students who joined the CRRI programme formed the study group. Out of these 90 interns only 57 (64%) of them joined their two months Compulsory Rotatory Internship in the Department of Community Medicine and these were posted in Tuberculosis & Respiratory Diseases Department for 15 days. Methodology: A pre-designed pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was administered to the participants on the first day and last day of their posting in Tuberculosis & Respiratory Diseases Department. The results were analysed by using suitable statistical package. Results: The mean pre-test score was 28 (49.6%) and the mean post-test score was 38 (61.5%). It was observed that there was a 27% improvement in the knowledge of the participants when the question about the year of launching of RNTCP programme in India was asked. A remarkable improvement (46%) was found in the difference between pre and post-test knowledge of the participants when the questions like “Who are the DOTS providers” and “What is the colour coding of boxes for different categories of patients” were asked. A significant difference in the knowledge was found in the pre and post-test assessment in reference to Tuberculosis and its National Programm