Embracing standard treatment manuals: information transfer to primary health workers in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Papua New Guinean primary health care workers describe their Standard Treatment Manuals as like "a teacher" or "a doctor". This paper explores this glowing reference, looking at how Standard Treatment Manuals are utilised, through data collected in a study which identifies what influences primary health care workers in Papua New Guinea to access and utilise information for diagnostic and treatment decisions. In addition to presenting a unique perspective on this method for transferring information to health workers across the world, this paper presents an opportunity to consider some of the factors which both enable and inhibit the process of providing information to health workers in a non western culture.