ABSTRACT
The study investigated the relationship between health information source awareness, use and service delivery of resident doctors in Babcock University Teaching Hospital. The study adopted descriptive research design. Out of the 60 copies of questionnaire administered to all the resident doctors, 52 (87%) were returned and used for the study. The data were analyzed using percentages, mean and Pearson Product Method correlation. The findings revealed there is no significant relationship between health information use and service delivery (r = 452, p < .05). The findings also revealed that the major health information sources consulted in Babcock University Teaching Hospital by resident doctors were medical textbooks, internet and personal collections. The major challenges facing resident doctors in Babcock University Teaching Hospital were non-availability of relevant information, inadequate information retrieval skills, lack of accessibility of sources. The study concluded that there is a need to provide more relevant materials and enhance the internet service in order to improve the quality of service delivery of resident doctors. Key words: health information sources use, awareness, service delivery, resident doctors.
Subject(s)
Social Welfare , Medical Informatics , Student Run Clinic , Health Services Misuse , Physician Assistants , Awareness , Delivery of Health CareABSTRACT
Information behaviour and work effectiveness of physicians are vital elements in the day to day practice of physicians in selected government hospitals. This study was carried out to investigate the relationship of between information need, seeking behaviour and work effectiveness of physicians in six government hospitals in Edo State. The objectives of the study include the identification of various health information needs of physicians in government hospitals, finding out their information seeking patterns and examining the level of work effectiveness. The method adopted is the survey design. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data among the respondents. Out of the 620 questionnaire administered 516 (83.2%) were retrieved. The findings revealed that the major health information need of physicians in selected government hospitals in Edo State was information on treatment and tests of patients. The quality of work delivery in terms of commitment and individual care to patients as well as commitment to organization goals is less than satisfactory. There is a significant relationship between information needs and seeking behaviour of physicians and their work effectiveness (r =0.422; p<0.05 and r = 0.090; p<0.05), respectively. It is recommended that physicians in government hospitals in Edo State need to be more pro-active in updating themselves in general medical knowledge