Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2019 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 5 Articles
Background: Therapeutic communication is essential in the provision of quality healthcare to patients. The purpose\nof this study was to explore the perceived barriers to effective therapeutic communication among patients and\nnurses at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,Kumasi.\nMethods: An exploratory study design was employed using a qualitative approach. A purposive sampling technique\nwas used to select 13 nurses and patients who were interviewed using an unstructured interview guide.\nInterviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis.\nResults: Patient-related characteristics that were identified as barriers to effective therapeutic communication included\nsocio-demographic characteristics, patient-nurse relationship, language, misconception, as well as pain. Nurse-related\ncharacteristics such as lack of knowledge, all-knowing attitude, work overload and dissatisfaction were also identified as\nbarriers to effective therapeutic and environmental-related issues such as noisy environment, new to the hospital\nenvironment as well as unconducive environment were identified as barriers to effective therapeutic communication\namong patients and nurses at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,Kumasi.\nConclusion: Nurse-patient communication is an inseparable part of the patient's care in every health setting; it is one of\nthe factors that determine the quality of care. Several patient-related characteristics, nurse- related characteristics and\nenvironmental-related issues pose as barriers to effective therapeutic communication at Komfo Anokye Teaching\nHospital,Kumasi and have ultimately; resulted in reducing effective communication at the wards. Therefore, all the barriers\nmust be eradicated to promote effective therapeutic communication....
Background:Residential opioid rehabilitation aims to improve the mental health and quality of life of opioid users\nthrough abstinence and residential program participation. This study aimed to determine the depression, anxiety,\nstress and quality of life amongst maintenance to abstinence (MTA) program residents. Secondary study aims were\nto assess the personal characteristics of MTA clients, addiction and risk taking behaviours, factors associated with program\ncompletion, as well as to assess the reliable change in participantsâ?? mental health and quality of life on exit.\nMethods:Retrospective analysis of routinely collected data (2013â??2017) from surveys completed by 100 clients.\nOutcome measures were: Depression, Anxiety, Stress Score (DASS-42), World Health Organisation Quality of Life 8\nquestions (WHOQOL-8) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Other variables included demographics, drug\nuse, other addictions, aggression, self-harm, suicidal ideation/attempts, and risk taking behaviours. Statistical methods\nincluded Chi-square, Fisherâ??s exact, t-tests, repeated measures analysis of variance and the Reliable Change Index.\nResults:All mean DASS-42, WHOQOL-8 and K10 scores improved significantly in all participants from entry to exit\n(p < 0.001). The majority of participants demonstrated reliable improvement across all psychometric measures. Completion\nrates for the MTA program were 51%. Depression (p=0.023), anxiety (p=0.010) and stress (p=0.015) DASS-42\nscores decreased significantly more in completers compared to non-completers. The rate of improvement in mean\nWHOQOL-8 scores and psychological distress scores (K10) was not statistically significantly different between completers\nand non-completers over time. There was no significant difference between completers and non-completers\non socio-demographics, self-reported drug addiction or risk taking behaviour on program entry, except for suicidal\nthoughts while intoxicated (p=0.033). Completers were more satisfied with their relationships (p=0.044) and living\nplace (p=0.040) on program entry.\nConclusion: Overall, completers and non-completers demonstrated improved mental health and quality of life from\nentry to exit, regardless of program completion. Depression, anxiety and stress reduced more markedly in program\ncompleters. Policy makers and programmers could use these findings to further validate their own programs to\nimprove mental health and quality of life of opioid users....
Introduction: Poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes is considered a major public\nhealth problem and associated with adverse outcomes in Jordan. Good\ndiabetes knowledge may facilitate adaptation of healthy behaviors and improve\npatientsâ?? adherence to their diabetes management plans. Purpose:\nTo gain an in-depth understanding of attitudes, perceptions and knowledge\nof patients which underpin their behaviors in Jordan. Methods: 8 focus\ngroups with 38 patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes were\nconducted. The focus group sessions were audio recorded and transcribed.\nThematic analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data. All transcripts\nwere uploaded into the qualitative data analysis software pack NVivo.\nResults: Patients reported the different ways in which they were diagnosed\nwith Type 2 diabetes. Most of the patients visited the health facility\nafter experiencing signs and symptoms of diabetes, often for some time before\nseeking medical help. Stress and family history were perceived as causes\nof developing diabetes and reasons for poorly controlled diabetes. Fatalistic\nbeliefs were shared when the patients were talking about the causes of\ndiabetes, the reasons for developing diabetes and their inability to control\ntheir blood glucose levels. Patients also associated fatalistic attitudes with\nreligious beliefs and the power of God as illness being in Godâ??s hands. Patientsâ??\nresponses also showed a poor understanding of the basic knowledge\nof diabetes. Conclusions: Effective health education programs need to be\ntailored to meet the individual needs of patients. Patients need to be provided\nwith accurate information about medications, side effects and therapeutic\neffects. An educational program may rectify misconceptions among\npatients....
Objectives. To explore themagnitude and determinants of burnout among emergency physicians and nurses working at emergency\ndepartments of hospitals in Abha and Khamis Mushait cities. Subjects and Methods. A cross-sectional hospital-based study\nwas conducted in emergency departments of hospitals in Abha and Khamis Mushait cities belonging to Ministry of Health.\nAll physicians (n=95) and nurses (n=187) currently working at these sites were invited to participate in the study by filling a\nvalidated self-administered questionnaire including two main sections: personal and professional characteristics of physicians\nand nurses as well as Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) to assess the three components of the burnout syndrome: emotional\nexhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Results. The study included 282 physicians and nurses.\nThe age of more than half of them (54.3%) ranged between 31 and 35 years. Most of them (70.9%) were females. About two thirds\nof the respondents (66.3%) were nurses while the remaining 33.7% were physicians. Majority of the emergency healthcare\nprofessionals (88.7%) had high emotional exhaustion. The prevalence of high depersonalization (cynicism) was 20.6% whereas\nthat of low personal accomplishment was 41.1% among emergency healthcare professionals. The overall prevalence of burnout\namong healthcare professionals was 16.3%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male healthcare professionals\nwere at almost higher three-folded risk for developing burnout compared to females (aOR=2.76; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-\n6.28, p=0.017)). Smokers were at higher significant risk for burnout compared to nonsmokers (aOR=15.37; 95% CI: 7.06-33.45,\np<0.001). Healthcare professionals who reported a history of taking medications for sleep disorders expressed higher risk for\nburnout opposed to those with no history of sleep disorder medication (aOR=6.59; 95% CI: 2.08-20.81, p=0.001). Conclusion. A\nconsiderable proportion of physicians and nurses working at emergency departments of hospitals in Abha and Khamis Mushait\ncities had burnout syndrome, particularly high emotional exhaustion and low personal accomplishment....
Background: Overweight and obesity are escalating global problem, causing\nmultiple life threatening non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular\ndisease, dyslipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and\nsome forms of cancer [1] [2]. Although the burden is particularly heavy in\ndeveloping countries including Kenya, yet extensive data is still lacking in\nthese countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence\nand risk factors for obesity and overweight among the Catholic University\nof Eastern Africa (CUEA) staff, Langata Campus, Nairobi, Kenya. Methods\nand Materials: A cross sectional, descriptive study was carried out\namong 301 CUEA staff. WHO stepwise-structured questionnaire was used to\ncollect the data regarding respondentsâ?? socio-demographic, lifestyle characteristics\nand anthropometric. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version\n22.0. Descriptive Data were descriptively analyzed into proportions and frequency\ntables, while to determine relationships between various variables;\nOne-Way ANOVA was employed. The ethical approval to conduct the study\nwas obtained from KNH-University of Nairobi Ethical Review Committee.\nThe institutional permission was granted by the administration of CUEA.\nThe consent was obtained from the respondents before data collection was\ncommenced. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the\nrespondents was 47.5% and 36.3% respectively. Based on waist circumference\n(WC), the prevalence of overweight and obesity among men was 42.6% and\n37.2% respectively. While among the women the prevalence of overweight\nand obesity was 56.8% and 19.5% respectively. The mean BMI (p = 0.006)\nand the mean WC (p = 0.004) were significantly higher among respondents\naged greater than equal to40 years old. Additionally, the mean WC was significantly higher\namong male respondents compared to the female counterparts (p = 0.003).\nDaily consumption of vegetables (p = 0.022) and fruits (p = 0.017) was significantly\nassociated with lower WC. While, higher WC (p = 0.015) and BMI (p\n= 0.003) were significantly associated with daily consumption of fast foods.\nRespondents who had involved in vigorous intensity physical activity for less than equal to20\nminutes for less than equal to3 days in a week had significantly lower mean BMI (p = 0.025)\nand mean WC (p = 0.002) compared to respondents who did not involve in\nany vigorous intensity physical activity for less than equal to20 minutes for less than equal to3 days in a week\nrespectively. Additionally, respondents who had involved in moderate intensity\nphysical activity for less than equal to30 minutes for less than equal to5 days in a week had significantly\nlower mean BMI (p = 0.011) and mean WC (p = 0.023) than respondents\nwho did not involve in moderate intensity physical activity for less than equal to30 minutes\nfor less than equal to5 days in a week respectively. Moreover, both mean BMI (p = 0.002) and WC (p = 0.005) were significantly higher among respondents who drink alcohol\nless than equal to 3 standard drinks per drinking occasion compared to those who\ndrink less than 3 standard drinks per drinking occasion. Conclusion and\nrecommendation: There is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity\namong the respondents. Consumption of fast foods and excessive alcohol is a\npredictor for obesity. While high consumption of fruits and vegetable and\nengaging in physical activities are protective against obesity. Institution like\nthe Catholic University of Eastern Africa should be involved in lifestyle modification\nprograms that lead to improve nutrition, physical activity and behavioral\nchange....
Loading....