Improved diagnostic testing and malaria treatment practices in Zambia.

Context: Improving the accuracy of malaria diagnosis with rapid antigen-detection diagnostic tests (RDTs) has been proposed as an approach for reducing overtreatment of malaria in the current era of widespread implementation of artemisinin-based combination therapy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To assess the association between use of microscopy and RDT and the prescription of antimalarials.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Cross-sectional, cluster sample survey, carried out between March and May 2006, of all outpatients treated during 1 working day at government and mission health facilities in 4 sentinel districts in Zambia.