FRONTIERS
Introducing Systematic Screening to Reduce Unmet Health Needs: A Manager's Manual

FRONTIERS has developed a training manual to provide guidance for program managers, supervisors, and providers who wish to integrate systematic screening into their health services.

Systematic screening is a simple strategy to increase the number of services received at a single client visit. Through this strategy, providers use a checklist or brief questionnaire to identify each client’s needs and desires for health services. They then provide these services during the same visit, through an appointment at the same clinic or through referral to another facility. Systematic screening has been proven effective in diverse health care settings in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where it increased services per visit from 9 to 25 percent, depending on the site. Designated a best practice by USAID, systematic screening can ultimately improve women’s health by efficiently addressing multiple unmet needs for reproductive and other health services.

The manual includes a step-by-step list of activities needed for successful implementation of the practice, including a sample screening form and training plan for providers and their supervisors. 

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Publications/Resources
Council researchers' names appear in boldface type. 

2006
Vernon, Ricardo, James R. Foreit, and Emma Ottolenghi. "Introducing systematic screening to reduce unmet health needs: A manager’s manual," FRONTIERS Manual. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF)

Hard copies of the manual in English are available free of charge upon request from frontiers@popcouncil.org. The manual is also available in electronic format in Spanish and French.

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See Also

• FRONTIERS projects

  • Use of Systematic Screening to Provide Reproductive Health Services in Bolivia
  • Systematic Screening as a Strategy to Increase Services Integration and Revenue in Honduras
  • Systematic Screening for Integrating Reproductive Health Services in India
  • Using Systematic Screening to Enhance Integration of Reproductive Health Service Delivery in Senegal

• FRONTIERS Publications/Resources on Systematic Screening
• FRONTIERS Quality of Care Improvement
• FRONTIERS Tools and Manuals
• Quality of Care
• Reproductive Health

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For more information contact:
Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS)
Population Council
4301 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 280
Washington, DC 20008 USA
Telephone: +1 202 237 9400
Facsimile: +1 202 237 8410
E-mail: frontiers@popcouncil.org

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This page updated 19 September 2007

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