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PRIMARY CARE: Pavitra Mohan, Sharad D Iyengar, Jose Martines, Simon Cousens, and Kalpana Sen Impact of counselling on careseeking behaviour in families with sick children: cluster randomised trial in rural India BMJ 2004; 329: 266 [Abstract] [Full text]

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Effectiveness of doctors training in counseling on mothers medical help seeking behavior?

Dr.Naseem A. Qureshi MD, IMAPA, LMIPS   (4 August 2004)

Effectiveness of doctors training in counseling on mothers medical help seeking behavior? 4 August 2004
Dr.Naseem A. Qureshi MD, IMAPA, LMIPS, Medical Director(A), Director CME&R Buraidah Mental Health Hospital, Postcode:2292, Saudi Arabia Send response to journal: Re: Effectiveness of doctors training in counseling on mothers medical help seeking behavior?	Sir: This study [1] from rural India authored by Mohan et al (2004) and funded by WHO makes a very interesting reading. Moreover, Little's comments [2] on this research are further illuminating and more informative as to what to track next for enhancing the medical help seeking behavior of mothers for their seriously sick children. In recent times, international medical communities and organizations including WHO have focussed on maternal and child health worldwide. This is because of the fact that in the past from medical perspective, this sector of population was ignored and consequently the maternal and child mortality increased substantially globally. In fact, the infant and maternal mortality is still very high in developing countries as compared to developed world. Notably, the common diseases afflicting infants and mothers are largely curable and preventable, provided both basic amenities and immediate medical care are offered them constantly. This research [1] attempts to enhance the knowledge of mothers of dangerous signs of childhood diseases in order to promptly seek medical help. The trained doctors counseled mothers for achieving this objective. However, I wonder why mothers were not trained in the first place in identifying the danger signs of childhood diseases and seeking medical help immediately. Why first doctors were trained in counseling who then counseled mothers. May I beg few questions, "were doctors interested in counselling training?" As a result of training, were they perfect counselors?" Finally, it is felt that the weak findings of this study may partly be explained by answers to these queries. References: 1. Pavitra Mohan, Sharad D Iyengar, Jose Martines, Simon Cousens, and Kalpana Sen. Impact of counselling on careseeking behaviour in families with sick children: cluster randomised trial in rural India. BMJ 2004; 329: 266-0 2. Paul Little. Advice to parents has limited effect—where next?. BMJ 2004 329: 269. Competing interests: None declared