Family Medicine

Background: Job satisfaction has been identified as a key factor determining patient satisfaction in health care organizations. This study was undertaken to assess the job satisfaction index among staff in the facility, and to identify factors influencing job satisfaction as a means of improving services in the hospital. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional survey of health care workers conducted using the Linda Powells (Mountains State Group Inc) self-administered questionnaire. This is a 50-item questionnaire assessing eight thematic areas; 1. Overall satisfaction, 2. Planning, 3. General Attitudes, 4. Performance issues, 5. Management issues, 6. Supervisory issues, 7. Training and salary issues, 8. Benefits. Results: Overall, 64.8% of respondents were satisfied with their jobs. The thematic area that had the highest job satisfaction score was general attitudes; while the lowest was benefits 37.7%. Conclusion: The overall job satisfaction was found to be 64.8%. The thematic area that scored highest for level of satisfaction was general attitudes followed by performance issues, supervisory issues and planning. Staff were not satisfied with management issues, training and salary issues and benefits.

Background: As health-care costs continue to rise and the population ages, an individual Nigerian continues to experience financial hardship in settling medical bills, especially when health insurance schemes are still far from reality for most Nigerians, making health-care financing burdensome in Nigeria like many developing countries. This has made out-of-pocket expenditure the most common form of health-care financing. Aims: This study assessed the average costs, duration, and causes of inpatient admission so as to know the direct costs associated with medical care for proper health-care planning. Settings and Design: This was a pilot study of a prospective cohort design whereby all patients were admitted to medical wards during the study period. Materials and Methods: Cost analysis was performed from the societal perspective, but included only direct medical care cost for this analysis. Patients input charts and pharmacy dispensing charts of all patients admitted to medical wards between May and July 2015 were reviewed. All costs were in local currency (Naira) using the average exchange rates proposed by Central Bank of Nigeria for June 2015. Statistical sAnalysis Used: Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 293 out of 320 patients met inclusion criteria and were assessed. Female patients admitted during the study period had an overall higher mean cost of care ₦84, 303.94 ± 6860.56 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68,991.65–96,103.27) compared to male patients ₦68, 601.59 ± 57,178.37 (95% CI: 59,081.51–78,121.67) (P < 0.102). Civil servants had higher mean overall costs of care ₦90, 961.70 ± 105,175.62 (95% CI: 65,883.46–116,039.94) (P < 0.203). Conclusions: The higher prevalence of female patients with higher mean cost of inpatient care in this study suggests that Jos females may be more health conscious than their male counterparts. Overall mean cost of inpatient care stay was not proportional to the length of stay, suggesting early discharge from hospital did not necessarily eliminate the cost of patient management.

Background There appears to be a bilateral relationship between HIV infection and intestinal helminthic infection. However, there is a paucity of data comparing the determinants of intestinal helminthic infection in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) sero-positive and sero-negative adults. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted where eight hundred HIV sero-positive adults were recruited with an equal number of matched controls from two sites into the study from January to December 2015. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and stool samples were screened for intestinal helminths using the Kato-Katz method. Results The prevalence of intestinal helminths was 16.3% and 16.4% among the HIV sero-positive and sero-negative population respectively. Bivariate analysis showed that there was a significant association between treatment of drinking water and presence of intestinal helminthiasis in the HIV sero-positive population (OR=0.67, 95%...

Background: Primary health care systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) need context-specific evidence to address current challenges. Increased family physician (FP) research activity could help fill this gap.Aim: To describe the research activity, facilitators and barriers amongst AfriWon Renaissance members.Setting: An online programme was designed to improve research activity amongst members of AfriWon Renaissance, an organisation of early-career and trainee FPs in SSA. This article provides a baseline description of their research activity.Methods: All AfriWon Renaissance members were invited to participate in an online survey. A content-validated study tool assessed research activity, including participation in research meetings, engagement in research mentorship, number of projects and published articles. Facilitators and barriers were assessed via Likert scales and two open-ended questions. The researchers conducted descriptive statistics using Epi Info 7, a content analysis of o...