As in any health care program, training and supervising government service providers can improve STD services. STD programs also should collaborate with private providers to reach people who do not go to public clinics.
Students receive little or no clinical training on STDs.
There are exceptions in some schools. Special programs offer in-service STD training to refresh providers' knowledge and skills and to tell them of improvements in STD management. In-service training is especially effective when conducted at a center of excellence. There trainees see high-quality care and a variety of cases, while staff at the center can learn about services at primary care clinics. By building a personal relationship between primary care providers and center staff, such training strengthens lines of supervision and referral.