A humanistic approach to IUD clinical training: results of a comparative study in Thailand.

Traditional IUD clinical training in Thailand offers preparatory activity but with no effort to standardize trainers delivery of service or training skills; multiple often inconsistent reference documents; and skills assessment only in the training clinic. The Johns Hopkins University Program for International Education in Reproductive Healths (JHPIEGO) humanistic approach however provides standardization offers reference documents with all materials synthesized for the student employs ongoing skills assessment as a teaching tool for positive reinforcement and provides training upon a pelvic model before the student comes into contact with an actual patient. A 1990 study compared these two training approaches. Compared to trainees who used the traditional approach trainees using the JHPIEGO approach achieved competence faster once exposed to real IUD acceptors. A small amount of clinical practice was found to go a long way in producing clinical competence. The JHPIEGO approach is therefore highly effective and both more time- and cost-efficient than the traditional approach. The humanistic training approach could allow many more people to be trained in IUD services during a specified period. It also sets a new standard for client rights. The authors stress that some trainees fail to achieve competency regardless of the training method used; these individuals should not be certified as competent at the end of the course.