Week 1: Question of the Week
What incentives do programs have to link with other organizations to provide a continuum of care?
In the report, we talk about how creating links with other service organizations and establishing referral systems is vital to a continuing-client strategy because not all services can be or should be offered at all health facilities. Family planning programs can establish referral procedures both within facilities (as in large facilities with multiple departments) and between facilities (as when a small clinic refers services to a larger one). In a small-clinic setting, offering referral services could be as simple as having providers inform clients about alternative sources of supply, so that in the event of a stockout, they will know the nearest available source for their method. The goal is that the client receives the method she needs without a gap in protection. If we expect providers/programs to promote referrals to other providers such as pharmacists and other private-sector providers, what incentives do they have to do so when they are in effect losing their client to another provider but are still required to show results to their donors?
Deepa Ramchandran
Research Writer
Author of the newest Population Reports issue, “Developing a Continuing-Client Strategy”
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Stephen Goldstein said,
May 9, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
You raise a really good question about incentives. I wonder if referrals are tracked–either by the initial health care provider and/or by the health facility where the client has been referred. It would take some detailed record keeping
to discover the path the client took to arrive at her health care destination, but a worthwhile endeavor that would reflect on the efficacy of the referral process and its contirbution to a continuing-client strategy.