Using the Road to Health Booklet
Using the road to health booklet
Use of the Road to Health Booklet
Check and update the Road to Health booklet at each consultation and on each admission and discharge |
- The South African Road to Health Booklet is an extremely important document for the child and family
- It is designed to support and integrate the various child health strategies such as IMCI, EPI, TB and HIV care and the Integrated Nutrition Programme
- It reminds health care workers to look for, respond to, and record important events and care given to the child
OWNERSHIP OF THE BOOKLET
- The Road to Health Booklet is the exclusive property of the parent (primary caregiver) and the child
- This is important as the booklet contains information on the child’s health including HIV status, and if the booklet is used for other purposes, mothers may hide the booklet or refuse to allow important information to be recorded in it. This can result in the child receiving less than optimal care
USE OF THE ROAD TO HEALTH BOOKLET
Issuing the Road to Health Booklet
At birth all children should be issued with a Road to Health Booklet – in which all vital information is recorded including:
- Name and date of birth: Page 1 (front cover)
- Details of child and family: Page 4
- Neonatal information: Page 5
- Immunisations at birth: Page 6
- PMTCT/ HIV information: Page 7
Use at health service contacts
On the cover the booklet states:
“IMPORTANT: always bring this booklet when you visit any health clinic, doctor or hospital”
To use the booklet effectively the attending nurse or doctor should ask, at each attendance, to see the Road to Health booklet both due to its intrinsic value as part of a child health consultation and to emphasise the importance of the booklet and its use to the mother.
On each visit complete/ record appropriately
- Well child visit routine care (incl. growth, TB status, PMTCT HIV status, feeding etc.): pages 2, 3
- Immunisations given: page 6
- Information on the HIV status of the mother and child (if HIV-exposed): page 8
- Vitamin A and deworming: page 9
- Weight for age, length/ height for age and weight for length/ height charting: pages 14 to19
- Any clinical notes (ideally using IMCI classification, treatment and follow up should be made in the clinical notes): pages 21 to 27
- Any hospital admissions should be recorded: page 19
During the health visit certain care given will depend on whether this is a scheduled well child visit, a follow-up visit, or a first attendance for a new illness.
| Well child visit | Sick child consultation | Follow up consultation |
| Greet mother and child | ||
| Ask why she has come and whether she has any concerns | Ask why she has come and what her concerns are | Ask how the child is and whether any further concerns have arisen |
| Ask for Road to Health Booklet and use it | ||
| If the child has an illness, proceed to sick child consultation (IMCI) in addition to the well child consultation | - Proceed to sick child consultation (IMCI) - Ensure that promotive aspects of IMCI (nutrition, immunisations, HIV and TB status) are covered | Carry out the follow-up process from IMCI, but also check the well child consultation |
| Check and record all due visit items – see above | ||
| - Carry out and record the well child visit - Note and respond to any other problems identified | - Manage the child according to IMCI classification - Follow up as required - Carry out and record the well child visit - Note and respond to any other problems identified | |
| - Tell mother what has been done, what was found and what this means - Ensure the mother knows when to follow up for the next well child visit, and when to come if the child is ill or for other scheduled follow up | ||
Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List for South Africa, Primary Healthcare Level, 2020 Edition