By building a personal relationship between primary care providers and center staff, such training strengthens lines of supervision and referral. In groups of 8 to 10, trainees learn to take a medical and sexual history, examine patients, use a microscope, diagnose STDs, follow standard flow charts, and prescribe drugs. The Zimbabwe essential drugs program also provides in-service training. The program publishes an STD management manual to help providers dispense drugs appropriately. With supervision, primary care providers can better apply their knowledge and skills, and morale rises.
Supervision can come in the course of recordkeeping or in monitoring of referrals.
In Zimbabwe, for example, the Ministry of Health collects monthly STD case reports from primary health clinics through the district and provincial health officers. In some countries experts from the central referral clinic will not be able to supervise most primary health clinics. Collaborating with private providers and traditional practitioners. Only a few public STD programs work with private or traditional practitioners, however. In Zimbabwe all doctors are offered STD training in continuing education seminars.