COPE® FOR MALE CIRCUMCISION SERVICES - EngenderHealth

Clients’ Right to Continuity of Care
COPE for Male Circumcision Services
All clients have the right to continuity of services, supplies, referrals, and follow-up necessary
to maintain their health, to prevent HIV transmission, and to prevent the progression of HIV
infection. Where possible, continuity of male circumcision (MC) services, specially trained MC
surgeons, pretest and posttest counselors, all necessary equipment, and expendable surgical
supplies should be available in the facility or other service setting of the client’s choice.
The group working on this guide should include staff who provide care, including MC
service providers, counselors, staff responsible for supplies, and field/community
workers.
If any of the following questions reveal a problem in your health care setting, or if you think
any questions need to be discussed further, write your comments on a flipchart in the
following format:
Problem Cause(s) Recommendations By Whom By When
If you are aware of a problem in your health care setting that is not addressed here, please list
it in “Other Issues That You Think Are Important,” at the end of this guide.
1. For all services provided in your health care setting, are all clients told that they can
return at any time if they have questions or concerns
2. Are follow-up visits in your service setting scheduled with the client’s convenience in
mind
3. Do staff communicate with clients not returning for follow-up care (including for test
results, treatment, or scheduled procedures) in a way that does not violate clients’ right to
privacy and confidentiality
4. Does your health care setting have sufficient equipment and a reliable stock of
expendable supplies so that clients receive preprocedure and postprocedure counseling,
the MC procedure, laboratory tests, medications (including local anesthetics, painkillers,
and antibiotics, etc.), and condoms without delay or other barriers to access
5. Does your service setting have adequate numbers of trained MC providers who offer
services to meet the demand
6. Do clinical staff know which medications and supplies can be replaced with others in case
of stock-outs (e.g., antibiotics for treatment of wound sepsis and sexually transmitted
infections)
7. Are clients’ medical and health records completed and clear, with information essential
for continuity of care
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