RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Three methods of delivering clinic-based training on syndromic management of sexually transmitted diseases in South Africa: a pilot study JF Sexually Transmitted Infections JO Sex Transm Infect FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP 135 OP 141 DO 10.1136/sextrans-2015-052107 VO 92 IS 2 A1 Marcia R Weaver A1 Erushka Pillay A1 Suzanne L Jed A1 Julia de Kadt A1 Sean Galagan A1 Jennifer Gilvydis A1 Eva Marumo A1 Shreshth Mawandia A1 Evasen Naidoo A1 Tamara Owens A1 Vickery Prongay A1 Gabrielle O'Malley YR 2016 UL http://sti.bmj.com/content/92/2/135.abstract AB Introduction The South African National Department of Health sought to improve syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Continuing medical education on STIs was delivered at primary healthcare (PHC) clinics using one of three training methods: (1) lecture, (2) computer and (3) paper-based. Clinics with training were compared with control clinics.Methods Ten PHC clinics were randomly assigned to control and 10 to each training method arm. Clinicians participated in on-site training on six modules; two per week for three weeks. Each clinic was visited by three or four unannounced standardised patient (SP) actors pre-training and post-training. Male SPs reported symptoms of male urethritis syndrome and female SPs reported symptoms of vaginal discharge syndrome. Quality of healthcare was measured by whether or not clinicians completed five tasks: HIV test, genital exam, correct medications, condoms and partner notification.Results An average of 31% of clinicians from each PHC attended each module. Quality of STI care was low. Pre-training (n=128) clinicians completed an average of 1.63 tasks. Post-training (n=114) they completed 1.73. There was no change in the number of STI tasks completed in the control arm and an 11% increase overall in the training arms relative to the control (ratio of relative risk (RRR)=1.11, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.84). Across training arms, there was a 26% increase (RRR=1.26, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.06) associated with lecture, 17% increase (RRR=1.17, 95% CI 0.59 to 2.28) with paper-based and 13% decrease (RRR=0.87, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.90) with computer arm relative to the control.Conclusions Future interventions should address increasing training attendance and computer-based training effectiveness.Trial registration number AEARCTR-0000668.