Indian Journal of Community Health
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Patients’ satisfaction survey on healthcare services among non-communicable disease patients at a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry
Get PDFBackground: Patient satisfaction is a scale to assess the services offered by the healthcare system. Patient’s feedback is necessary to identify problems that need to be resolved in improving health services. Aim & Objective: Keeping this in view, the present study is an initiative to estimate the patient’s satisfaction in service provision among NCD patients at a tertiary care hospital of Puducherry. Settings and Design: A Facility-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among NCD patients attending General medicine OPD of a tertiary care hospital of Puducherry between April-June 2019. Methods and Material: Assuming 50% satisfaction level among study participants and 5% non-response rate, the sample size was estimated as 404. The NCD register maintained at the General medicine OPD was considered as the sampling frame & systematic random sampling was applied, so that every 5th patient satisfying the inclusion criteria will be included. A standardized patient satisfaction questionnaire with 31-items (4 domains) which is validated for Indian setting (Cronbach’s alpha 0.96) was used. Statistical analysis used: Data capture was done using Epicollect-5 android application and analysed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: Among the 404 NCD patients, the mean age was 56 ± 11.8 (SD) years and 60.6% were females. One in four patients felt poor in reception, doctor-patient relationship and dispensary services. The overall satisfaction of study subjects categorized as good, satisfactory, poor was 6%, 86% and 8% respectively. Conclusions: Majority of the study participants were satisfied with the service provision of the health facility. Still, there is a scope for improvement in dispensary, doctor-patient relationship and registration services
Awareness and utilisation of quitline among current tobacco users in a district in southern india
Get PDFBackground: Tobacco use not only increases mortality, but also causes enormous burden to the Nation’s health and economy. The WHO -Framework Convention on Tobacco Control implemented “MPOWER”, comprising of an important entity of ‘offering help to tobacco users’ to quit. Quitline provides evidence-based treatment services to tobacco users and advertising those services has the potential to increase their utilisation. Objectives: Our objective was to assess the awareness and utilisation of the newly introduced quitline on tobacco packs among tobacco users. Materials and Methods: After obtaining Ethics Committee approval, this cross-sectional study was conducted from March-June 2019 in a purposive sample of tobacco users aged 18 years and above at the point of sale with prior informed consent. The questionnaire included questions on the users’ knowledge and utilisation of the quitline. Results: Most of the tobacco users (84.6 %) had not observed the quitline on tobacco pack. Amongst those who observed the quitline, 65.5% were smokers, while the smokeless tobacco users who comprised half of the study population were unaware of the quitline. More than 97% of illiterates were unaware of the quitline. Only three tobacco users who were aware of quitline had tried using it. Conclusion: Most of the tobacco users had basic education but were not aware of the quitline on the tobacco packs and only a very few of them used the services, highlighting the need to increase its awareness for effective tobacco control
A study to assess the effectiveness and perception of students regarding Case Based Learning over traditional teaching method in Community Medicine
Get PDFBackground: Case based learning (CBL) among medical undergraduates, has more interactive sessions and students been involved in thinking, analyzing and interpretation. However, it is not clear if it is reflected in their assessment results. Aim & Objective: To assess the effectiveness and perception of Case Based Learning over the traditional TL method used in Community Medicine among second year medical undergraduates. Settings and Design: A randomized controlled study was conducted among second year medical undergraduates studying in a government medical college in coastal Karnataka. Methods and Material: 143 Students were randomly allocated into two groups- Group A underwent traditional teaching and Group B underwent Case Based learning. The effectiveness of TL methods was assessed using Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). Group B’s perception regarding CBL was also obtained. Statistical analysis: Inter-group and intra-group mean scores of the pre-test, post-test and retention tests of MCQs of the students were compared using independent t-test and paired t-test respectively. Results: Statistically significant difference was observed in post-test and retention test scores between the groups. Students perceived CBL aroused interest and encouraged self-directed learning. Conclusion: CBL was effective over the traditional teaching learning method
Information Sharing through Twitter by Public Health care Institution during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of AIIMS, Raipur
Get PDFBackground: During the time of COVID 19, public health care institutions have used social media to inform and aware society. Aim & Objective: To analyze how Public Health Care Institutes conveyed the health information and messages through social media platform- Twitter during COVID 19, and analyzing its impact through sentiment analysis of comments. Material & Methods: The Thematic and sentiment analysis method has been used to analyze the data of the Twitter handle of AIIMS, Raipur in two phases; January-March 2020, and April-June 2020. Results: The analysis shows that the sharing of COVID-19 updates on AIIMS, Raipur Twitter handle increased the followers 15 times from 2,000+ in March 2020 to 30,000+ in June 2020, and the sentiment analysis reflects that COVID related updates received 96.7 % positive comments. Conclusion: The case study finds that transparent and informative message sharing through social media by public health care institutions can create an effective channel of communication. This results in a positive institutional image
Mobile Medical Units: An alternate Pathway to address the burden of Non Communicable disease in Urban Slums of India
Get PDFBackground: In India despite the increase in health coverage, a small but significant proportion of people in several parts of the country still do not get access to health care services. Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) are a key service strategy to reach such vulnerable population. The present study intends to know the socio-demographic profile of population attending the MMU and the prevalence of Non-Communicable disease (NCD) among them. Materials and Methods: The MMU are located at five different locations in two states. The MMU is equipped to provide primary health care services, essential lab investigations, medications and counselling. The secondary data of beneficiaries attending the MMU during March 2018 to March 2019 was analysed. Results: A total of 84,239 beneficiaries attended the MMU, which comprised of 39 % males and 61% females. There were 55,934 beneficiaries aged 30 years and above. Out of these majority (62.6%) were females and 44.4% beneficiaries were aged between 30 to 45 years. The prevalence of Diabetes and Hypertension among the beneficiaries above 30 years of age was 38.8% and 46.2%respectively. Conclusion: MMU can help in delivering quality health services to the vulnerable population and help early diagnosis of NCD
Prevalence of dementia and its associated risk factors among elderly patient attending Outpatient Department of a tertiary care hospital in Lucknow
Get PDFBackground: Dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that causes a chronic, progressive and gradual decrease in cognitive function i.e. ability to think and remember that is great enough to affect a person’s daily functioning beyond what might be expected from normal ageing. According to American Psychiatric Association, “Dementia is a syndrome caused by a variety of brain illnesses that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities”. Aim & Objectives: To assess the prevalence of dementia among the patients above 60 years of age attending the outpatient department of Tertiary care super specialty hospital. To assess the risk factors associated with occurrence of dementia in patients attending outpatient department of Tertiary care super specialty hospital. Settings and Design: Study design: - Cross-sectional observational study. Study area: - Tertiary care super-specialty hospital. Study setting: - Outpatient department (OPD)of Tertiary care super specialty hospital. Methods and Material: Study population: - Patients above 60 years of age and attending Outpatient Department of the tertiary care super specialty hospital. Duration of Study: - 4 months. Sample size:- 223 elderly participants from the registration counter of the Outpatient Department of tertiary care hospital. Statistical analysis used: Data was analysed using SPSS, version 24.0. Univariate Logistic Regression, Multivariate Logistic Regression, Odds Ratio. Results: The study was conducted on a total of 223 patients out of which only 210 patients completed the questionnaire and matched our criteria. Thus, 210 patients are analysed for the result. In our study which included the patients above 60 years of age out of which the maximum participants (52.4%) were of age group 65-75. In our study 66.2% participants had normal cognitive functioning while 33.8% of total participants were found to have dementia. Out of these 33.8% participants having impaired cognitive functioning, 13.8% and 20% had severe and borderline dementia respectively. Dementia was found to be more common in females. Conclusions: Statistically significant association of dementia has been found with female gender, rural residence, joint family and a greater number of family members, poor education, pan masala consumption, daytime drowsiness, and problem in sleep pattern, social intolerance and frequent fights
A study of health profile and effects of ambient air pollution among auto drivers of Bangalore city
Get PDFBackground: Auto drivers battle several occupational health hazards due to increasing pollution and unhealthy lifestyle. Improper diet and sleeping habits coupled with smoking, tobacco and alcohol use make them prone to respiratory and cardiovascular health hazards. Objectives: To assess the health status and quality of life (QoL) among auto drivers in Bangalore city and to study the association of selected parameters with respiratory and cardiac morbidities. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 450 auto drivers were given a questionnaire and they were distributed according to age, education, body mass index, smoking, tobacco and/or alcohol consumption. The QoL was assessed by World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF) and peak expiratory flow, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels for each participant were recorded. The association between two categorical variables was determined by Chi-square test and p?0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The association of number of years of driving with prevalence of chronic morbidity (p=0.005), hypertension (p=0.008), diabetes (p<0.001), and heart disease (p=0.04) were significant. QoL for physical and environmental domain were 16.11±0.28 and 12.48±0.06, respectively. Conclusion: A proportional increase in the risk of respiratory and cardiac morbidities with increasing number of driving years was observed among auto drivers
Non-communicable disease surveillance in India using Geographical Information System-An experience from Punjab
Get PDF"Geographic information system (GIS) collects various kinds of data based on the geographic relationship across space." Data in GIS is stored to visualize, analyze, and interpret geographic data to learn about an area, an ongoing project, site planning, business, health economics and health-related surveys and information. GIS has evolved from ancient disease maps to 3D digital maps and continues to grow even today. The visual-spatial mapping of the data has given us an insight into different diseases ranging from diarrhea, pneumonia to non-communicable diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, or risk factors like obesity, being overweight, etc. All in a while, this information has highlighted health-related issues and knowledge about these in a contemporary manner worldwide. Researchers, scientists, and administrators use GIS for research project planning, execution, and disease management. Cases of diseases in a specific area or region, the number of hospitals, roads, waterways, and health catchment areas are examples of spatially referenced data that can be captured and easily presented using GIS. Currently, we are facing an epidemic of non-communicable diseases, and a powerful tool like GIS can be used efficiently in such a situation. GIS can provide a powerful and robust framework for effectively monitoring and identifying the leading cause behind such diseases. GIS, which provides a spatial viewpoint regarding the disease spectrum, pattern, and distribution, is of particular importance in this area and helps better understand disease transmission dynamics and spatial determinants. The use of GIS in public health will be a practical approach for surveillance, monitoring, planning, optimization, and service delivery of health resources to the people at large. The GIS platform can link environmental and spatial information with the disease itself, which makes it an asset in disease control progression all over the globe
Assessment of Accessibility and Quality of Emergency Obstetric Care services: A cross sectional study in rural Varanasi
Get PDFBackground: Emergency Obstetrics care is an integrated strategy developed by the WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF that aims to equip health facilities with the capacity to provide evidence based, cost effective interventions to attend the leading causes of maternal mortality. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted between April 2019 - July 2020. A total of 201 women who delivered in the last 6 months and had complications during their pregnancy were interviewed to find out accessibility and quality emergency obstetric Care (EmOC) services. Facility assessment was also done at two health facilities of Chiraigaon block for the assessment EmOC. Results: Findings show that only 41.8% respondents were able to reach the government health facilities in less than half-an-hour. Out of the total respondents who utilized government health facilities for EmOC, only 19% were attended by the health providers within 1 hour. Conclusion: Low percentage of respondents with complications were reaching the health facility within 30 minutes. Therefore, there is a strong need for strengthening of basic EmOC services at health facilities
Bracing for a resurgence of Covid in a 3rd Wave: Uttarakhand Saga
Get PDFEvidently, the resurgence of COVID in a 2nd wave happened due largely to ‘Risk Compensation’ by the community, exacerbated by extreme risk behavior of the community. ‘Risk compensation’ or ‘Peltzman effect’, where there is an attitudinal shift underestimating the risk and subsequent complacency in observing due measures is almost an axiomatic phenomenon and this was being predicted in case of COVID too(1). However the scale, extent and intensity of the re-surgence (second wave) which was exponential & ‘asymptotic‘ was unwarranted, also unprecedented. That this re-surgence was a predictable phenomenon and needed pro-active & pragmatic strategizing/ decision making (which would affect community behavior vis a vis religious congregation and or other public events abetting gathering of crowd etc) was not unknown