Information needs, seeking behavior and work effectiveness of physicians in selected government hospitals in EDO state, Nigeria

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

Change of patients' health service seeking patterns by community health service institutions / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective To explore effective ways for community health service institutions to change patients' health service seeking patterns. Methods Yuetan Community Health Service Center of Fuxing Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University and 9 community health service stations under its subordination in the 1996～2002 period were selected as a representative of the community health service institutions to be studied and intervened while the headquarters of Fuxing Hospital in the same period was selected as a representative of the third-tier hospitals to be studied. A comparison was made between the two in outpatient volume change. Questionnaires were distributed randomly to residents of the Yuetan area where Fuxing Hospital is located in order to study their health service seeking behaviors each year from 1996 to 2002. Results As a result of hard work in the 6 years, Yuetan Community Health Service Center saw a steady increase in outpatient volume whereas the headquarters of Fuxing Hospital witnessed a steady decrease in outpatient volume. Survey via questionnaires sent randomly to permanent residents of the Yuetan area indicated a change in residents' health service seeking patterns. Conclusion It is effective and viable for community health service institutions to change patients' health service seeking patterns through providing social-psychological-biological community medical services, enhancing health education and setting up a two-way referral system with third-tier hospitals.