Using systematic sreening to address unmet need of MCH care and family planning services

Systematic screening instrument is a simple tool developed and tested in different countries and found effective in identifying unmet need of clients who generally come to clinic and do not express all their needs. Pilot study in 4 urban clinics in India showed that it increases utilization of services by identifying client's unmet need by 22 percent. Finding its usefulness SSI has been introduced in 63 different types of rural /urban clinics to test how level of compliance of providers varies with type of clinic and workload or how compliance is influenced by manager's commitment to SSI

SSI has been introduced in two forms—one by removing old registration form with new registration form adding check list. In other clinics a separate screening form has been introduced.

Results: Service statistics for 7600 clients reveals that in clinics where screening form has been added in service register itself, compliance is almost 100 percent. In other clinics compliance varies from 40 percent to 80 percent. Increase in urban clinics services is significant (63-80 percent). In rural areas increase in utilization was less (40 percent).In most cases, additional services identified were women's RH needs (50 percent), FP (36 percent), and vaccination (9 percent).