Surface Disinfection Practice in Public Hospitals in the Era of COVID-19: Assessment of Disinfectant Solution Preparation and Use in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Surface disinfection of healthcare facilities with appropriate disinfectants is among the infection control strategies against the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As sodium hypochlorite solution (SHS) is a commonly used surface disinfectant, its preparation and proper use should be given a due attention. The current study aimed at assessing the practice of Addis Ababa public hospitals in the preparation and use of SHS. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was employed to assess the adequacy of disinfectant solution preparation and use. Checklists were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used for data analyses, and categorical variables were described by frequencies and percentages. Results: Out of the twelve public hospitals included in the study; only three hospitals checked the potency of the working SHS. Majority of the hospitals (8 hospitals) stored the concentrated SHS products in cool, dry, and direct sunlight protected places. It was only in one hospital where appropriate personal protective equipment was used during the preparation and quality control activities. Surfaces were not cleaned in all hospitals before disinfection; and the rooms were ventilated only in 2 hospitals during the application of the disinfectant solution. Conclusion: The study revealed that the preparations of SHS in the public hospitals did not comply with most of the requirements of good compounding practice. Moreover, standard practices were not maintained in majority hospitals during the use of SHS for surface disinfection. As a control strategy in the spread of COVID-19 and other infections, appropriate corrective actions shall be implemented in the studied hospitals to mitigate the limitations observed in the preparation and use of SHS.

Understanding Safety Management Practices and Safety Performance amid Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic among Nurses in Public Hospitals

The study aims to examine the role of safety management practices and safety performance among nurses working in public hospitals amid the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed for data collection and a total of 229 nursing staff from the public health facilities in Abuja, Nigeria participated in the study. The results demonstrated that the level of safety performance was moderately high. These findings support the influence of management commitment on safety, safety training, and employees' involvement on safety compliance. It was also found that management commitment to safety, safety training, and safety promotion policies posed significant effects on safety participation. This study provides empirical support for the assertion that safety management practices are of paramount importance in improving safety performance among nurses in public hospitals, especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Egyptian physicians' information-seeking behavior while serving in public isolation hospitals for coronavirus patients

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the information-seeking behavior of Egyptian physicians serving in COVID-19 isolation hospitals. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 91 physicians serving in Egyptian isolation hospitals answered the study questionnaire. Findings: Demographically, more than half of respondents were males. Over one-third of them are holding Doctor of Medicine (M.D), followed by one-third holding Master of Medicine (MMed). Respondents' age ranged from 30 to 60 years. Internal medicine is the most common specialty, accounting for nearly half of all physicians, followed by chest medicine and intensive care medicine. The information-seeking behavior of these three groups in their regular work is believed to be different, but since all of the participants are working in COVID-19 isolation hospitals, they should have the same information resources, Internet access and the same needs relevant to COVID-19 in order to make accurate clinical decisions. The physicians used traditional and electronic information sources to fulfill their information needs, the most important of which were to make a specific research, find an answer to a specific case, and deliver a medical lecture. Colleagues, coworkers, nurses and pharmacists were the most important channels pursued by Egyptian physicians to obtain information. Originality/value: This study is the first study that focuses on investigating the information-seeking behavior of Egyptian physicians serving in isolation hospitals. Any findings resulted from this study may serve as a noteworthy reference that may be useful to the Egyptian health sector, experts, researchers, as well as policymakers in establishing strategic decisions for making the understating much better. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-08-2020-0350 [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Online Information Review is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Association of nurses' mental well-being and professional quality of life (ProQOL) to their resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

This study was conducted in determining the factors that affect nurses' resiliency while working in public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional design was used and self-administered surveys were completed by 420 nurses. Nurses working in public hospitals have had high levels of resilience and mental well-being during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with their ProQOL found to be average. Higher levels of mental well-being and ProQOL contributed to developing better resiliency. The study poses the significance of taking preemptive measures on the parts of both the government and the healthcare institutions themselves to assist nursing professionals in enduring disasters such as the pandemic. © 2022 The Authors.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Use, Reuse and Disposal of Face Masks during COVID-19 Pandemic amongst University Students of Karachi

Objective: This study is intended to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice towards use, reuse and disposal of face masks amongst university students of Karachi. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in a period of 1 month on the students of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Bahria University of Medical and Dental College, Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Iqra University, SZABIST, Bahria University, and Karachi University. Non-probability convenience sampling was used to conduct an online questionnaire survey assessing personal information, knowledge and attitude toward face mask disposal. Results: A total of 386 valid questionnaires were included in the study. 87.3 % of participants wear face masks regularly. Only 24.4 % of students had adequate knowledge about face masks disposal. The majority of participants discarded the face masks in general trash bins, which is very alarming for public health. 39.1 % showed a positive attitude towards cooperating always with relevant authorities on face masks disposal. 69.2 % were very concerned about hazards associated with improper face masks disposal. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the necessity of policies and strict implementation should be introduced by relevant authorities to ensure the proper use and disposal of face masks in order to narrow the gap the university students have towards the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding use, reuse and disposal of face masks. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Annals of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital & Karachi Medical & Dental College is the property of Knowledge Bylanes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Infection Prevention and Control in Public Hospitals and COVID-19 Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities in the Philippines: Results of a Baseline Survey

Infection prevention and control measures are effective at protecting patients and healthcare workers from healthcare-acquired infections, averting onward transmission of the disease and mitigating the impact of the outbreak on the healthcare system. This study assessed the compliance of public hospitals and isolation facilities with a set of standards for COVID-19 infection prevention and control. A 35-point questionnaire was developed and utilized to collect data from selected facilities in 38 local government units across the country. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, and differences between island groups were tested using Pearson's χ2 test for categorical variables. The results indicate that hospitals reported better infection prevention and control preparedness and compliance than temporary treatment and monitoring facilities in the domains of engineering and administrative controls. However, weak compliance was observed in a number of indicators for waste management in both types of facilities. These suggest that periodic monitoring and the augmentation of resources are necessary to sustain adherence to standards and to immediately address compliance gaps. In addition, systemic improvements through sufficient planning and long-term investments are required to sustain infection prevention and control practices over time. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of COVID is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Statistical characterization of managerial risk factors: a case of state-run hospitals in India

Public healthcare institutions are the crucial component in the social and economic development of a nation, particularly India. However, public hospitals in India confront multiple operational risk factors that compromise patient satisfaction. Although all the risk factors are essentially critical, the impact potential of any risk factor is ultimately determined by its ability to induce other risk factors. The current research derives motivation from these scenarios and investigates the characteristics of crucial operational risk factors experienced in the public healthcare sector in a South Indian state. Extensive questionnaire-based surveys were conducted among civilians and healthcare professionals in two phases, i.e., prior to the COVID-19 crisis and during the COVID-19 crisis, for identifying significant risk factors. The collected data is analysed using statistical techniques like exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and partial least squares based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to characterise the inter-relationships between risk factors. The research discloses the translational effect of administrative/infrastructure constraints in public hospitals in compromising the operational performance indirectly through human-related issues rather than having a direct influence. More precisely, the presented model indicates that risk factors like the physical infrastructure limitations and shortage of staff will overburden the existing employees, resulting in human-related issues, including attitudinal issues of employees and community mistrusts and misbelieves. The results reveal seemingly resolvable budget allocation issues, but at the same time alarms the authorities to execute immediate countermeasures. Ultimately, this research seeks to empower public hospital administrators with interesting insights and managerial implications drawn from the statistical models. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Operational Research Society of India.

The role of facilities management in fighting COVID-19 outbreak: Evidence from Malaysian public hospitals.

The aim of this study is to provide a holistic review of the fight against COVID-19 in developing countries, particularly Malaysia. Specifically, the study aims to determine how facilities management delivery in public hospitals can be improved to ensure readiness in handling COVID-19 cases. We conducted a review of the literature and reliable media updates on COVID-19 and services management. A critical synthesis of COVID-19 information was conducted to scrutinise the technical aspects and highlight how facilities management can be improved to ensure hospital readiness in managing COVID-19 cases. The data and information used in the present study were collected up to the time of writing this paper, which leaves a room for further studies. Nonetheless, this study's recommendations are useful for understanding the present and future pandemics. This study is a first attempt to summarise the data on facilities management in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Malaysian context. The study's findings are suitable for the developing countries in managing healthcare management practices in the fight against COVID-19. This study aims to highlight current issues in order to provide a more objective assessment of facilities management to ensure hospital readiness in handling COVID-19 cases.

Clinico-pathological study of mucormycosis in post-COVID patients at government general hospital, Nizamabad

Background: Mucormycosis is a rare, opportunistic fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated mucormycosis has been increasing in frequency since early 2021, particularly among patients with uncontrolled diabetes and systemic corticosteroid treatment. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to study mucormycosis occurrence in COVID-19 patients at Government General Hospital, Nizamabad - A tertiary care center and to correlate mucormycosis with comorbidities and previous treatment modalities among admitted post COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective study was done for 3 months, from June 2021 to August 2021. Fifty suspected cases of mucormycosis specimens sent to the Department of Pathology, Government General Hospital, Nizamabad for histopathological diagnosis were considered. Clinical history and treatment details were noted. Tissues obtained were fixed in 10% formalin, routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains were done. Gomori's methenamine silver stains were done. Results: Mucormycosis was most common in males 37 (74%) and common in the age group of 41-50 years (26%). Diabetes mellitus is the most common comorbidity (60%). The mean duration between diagnosis of COVID-19 and development of symptoms of mucor was 6-40 days. Out of 50 cases, 46 patients received steroid therapy and 39 cases were given oxygen support. Conclusion: Mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive life-threatening opportunistic infection. Post COVID-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes are more prone to it and an important predisposing factor. Treatment with steroid therapy and oxygen support must be carefully monitored and used in a vigilant manner. Histopathological examination and clinical correlation are essential for early diagnosis and treatment. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Predictors of Healthcare Workers' Compassionate Care Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study from Patients' Perspective in Kelantan, Malaysia.

Background: Compassionate care served by healthcare workers (HCWs) has been recognized as one of the most critical aspects of high-quality care. Unfortunately, there is still an unmet need for the assessment of compassionate care from the patient's perspective. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many new rules were enacted to tackle the raging pandemic, which raised concerns about its effect on compassionate care. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 315 patients from three public hospitals was conducted during the conditional movement control order (CMCO). A self-administered Malay version of the Relational Aspect of Care Questionnaire (RAC-QM) was used to assess compassionate care. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the predictors. Results: More than 90% of the patients were Malays, Muslims, and fell under the B40 household income category. Companions were present for 51.7% of the patients, but 75.2% had no visitors. All hospitals received scores of more than 90%. Occupation (student, p = 0.032), dependency level (total dependent, p < 0.001), and household income level (M40, p = 0.027) were the statistically significant predictors for compassionate care. Conclusions: The current study revealed that compassionate care to patients was not compromised during the pandemic. Patients with disabilities or financial constraints are more likely to experience less compassionate care, while students are generally more satisfied. This study may provide clues for hospital administrators and policymakers regarding the vulnerable group of patients. It also provides opportunities for future research to study the perspective of HCWs.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Eye Care Practitioners towards COVID-19 Guidelines in Tertiary Care Hospitals in Twin Cities

Purpose: To access knowledge, attitude, and practices of Eye care practitioners (ECPs) towards COVID-19 guidelines and to determine their knowledge about use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Tertiary Eye Hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad from October 2020 to March 2021. A total of 270 Eye care practitioners currently working in public and private hospitals were included in this study. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used. Data was collected from individuals through an interview-based questionnaire after taking consent. Data was coded and analyzed by using SPSS version 26. The Chi-square test was used for further analysis. Results: Mean age of participants was 29.85 ± 7.482 years, ranging from 18 to 65 years. Females (67%) were slightly out-numbered than males of the total sample. Moreover, 50% of the respondents had adequate knowledge about COVID-19 while only 39.3% had a positive attitude towards COVID-19. Hours of practice and years of experience had an association with knowledge. Good practices were observed by only 43.3% of the total sample. Practices had an association with the department of work of ECPs. Conclusion: There is scarcity of knowledge among ECPs about COVID-19 and its preventive measures. Less than 50% ECPs with positive attitude and good practices towards COVID-19 indicate a dire need to train them for use of PPEs. [ FROM AUTHOR]

THE INTERMEDIATE ROLE OF SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION ON THE EFFECT OF INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP ON SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE

In the study, the mediating role of supply chain innovation on the effect of innovative leadership on supply chain performance is investigated. Although there are many studies in the literature on the factors affecting supply chain innovation and supply chain performance, there are very few studies that include the innovative leadership effect. It is thought that the research subject, the model developed for the study, the applied sector (health services) and the findings would contribute to the literature. The reason for the selection of the health sector for the study is the fact that the Covid 19 pandemic has increased the importance of healthcare supply all over the world. In this context, the hypotheses of the study are tested with multiple regression analyzes with the data obtained from 418 public and private hospitals in Turkey by using a five-point Likert type questionnaire as the data collection method in the research. As a result of the analyzes made it is determined that innovative leadership and supply chain innovation have positive effects on supply chain performance. In the study, it is also seen that supply chain service and process innovation have a mediating role in the effect of innovative leadership on supply chain speed and environmental performance. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR]

Management of capital liquidity in public hospitals under the epidemic situation of COVID-19.

The epidemic of COVID-19 has a great impact on the life and safety of people around the world. As the main force in the fight against COVID-19, the financial management of public hospitals will provide a strong guarantee for the diagnosis and treatment behavior of medical staff. The financial department needs to recognize the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on hospital finance, quantify and predict the potential risk factors, and develop reasonable financial management strategies. As an important part of assessing the financial health of public hospitals, the capital liquidity can be used as the focus direction of the hospital managers. In this study, we determine the effects of COVID-19 on the finance of public hospitals. Subsequently, we invested the conception, components, risk factors of capital liquidity in public hospitals. In addition, we provided some management strategies of capital liquidity in public hospitals under the epidemic of COVID-19. We deemed that good capital liquidity can ensure that medical staff have enough confidence and mentality to face the risk of death from COVID-19.

COVID-19 Mortality in Public Hospitals in a Brazilian State: An Analysis of the Three Waves of the Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze COVID-19 deaths in public hospitals in a Brazilian state, stratified by the three waves of the pandemic, and to test their association with socio-clinical variables. METHODS: Observational analytical study, where 5436 deaths by COVID-19 occurred in hospitals of the public network of Espírito Santo, between 1 April 2020, and 31 August 2021, stratified by the three waves of the pandemic, were analyzed. For the bivariate analyses, the Pearson's chi-square, Fisher's Exact or Friedman's tests were performed depending on the Gaussian or non-Gaussian distribution of the data. For the relationship between time from diagnosis to death in each wave, quantile regression was used, and multinomial regression for multiple analyses. RESULTS: The mean time between diagnosis and death was 18.5 days in the first wave, 20.5 days in the second wave, and 21.4 days in the third wave. In the first wave, deaths in public hospitals were associated with the following variables: immunodeficiency, obesity, neoplasia, and origin. In the second wave, deaths were associated with education, O2 saturation < 95%, chronic neurological disease, and origin. In the third wave, deaths were associated with race/color, education, difficulty breathing, nasal or conjunctival congestion, irritability or confusion, adynamia or weakness, chronic cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, and diabetes mellitus. Origin was associated with the outcome in the three waves of the pandemic, in the same way that education was in the second and third waves (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The time interval between diagnosis and death can be impacted by several factors, such as: plasticity of the health system, improved clinical management of patients, and the start of vaccination at the end of January 2021, which covered the age group with the higher incidence of deaths. The deaths occurring in public hospitals were associated with socio-clinical characteristics.

A mannequin based comparative study of quality of chest compression with or without personal protective equipment (PPE)

Background & Objective: The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is highly recommended during chest compression in COVID-19 patients, as it can generate aerosols. It was thought that quality of chest compression might be affected by the use of PPE. We compared the quality of chest compression with or without PPE using a mannequin to formulate practical recommendations. Methodology: This observational analytical study used randomised crossover design, and was carried out in Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital from December 2020 to July 2021. After a thorough assessment, a total of 92 samples fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The chosen participants were postgraduate residents, and they were asked to do chest compression on a mannequin with (Group-I) and without PPE (Group-II) and with breaks in between. The quality of CPR was measured using feedback tool CPR R Series® Monitor (Zoll Inc., USA). After a break the groups were crossed over and re-evaluated. Results: Sixty-five (35.3%) non-PPE participants did quality compression, but only 16 (8.7%) did quality compression when using PPE (P < 0.001). Effective compression was done by 80 (43.5%) of the non-PPE participants, compared to 61 (33.2%) participants doing the compression effectively when using PPE (P = 0.002). Eighty-two (44.6%) non- PPE participants did adequate compressions compared to 61 (33.2%) participants when using PPE (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the post-compression fatigue level was 7 (6.00-9.00) when using PPE compared to 5 (3.00-7.00) when not using PPE (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The use of PPE during chest compressions can reduce the quality of compression and increase the level of post-compression fatigue compared to performing chest compressions without PPE. PPE use was also associated with low levels of effectiveness, and adequacy of the chest compression. Abbreviations: PPE - Personal Protective Equipment;CPR – Cardiopulmonary resuscitation;AHA - American Heart Association;ERC - European Resuscitation Council [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care is the property of Department of Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The quality of Syrian healthcare services during COVID-19: A HEALTHQUAL approach.

Syria is a developing country that face enormous healthcare challenges that aggravated with the outbreak of COVID-19. In the study, we evaluate the perceived healthcare service quality based on hospital type, public and private, using five HEALTHQUAL dimensions. We find that service quality in Syrian private hospitals is perceived better that in public hospitals. However, neither type of hospitals scores exceptionally high in any of the examined HEALTHQUAL dimensions. On the contrary, both hospitals score extremely low in the Improvement dimension. We argue that crowdedness environment, medical staff availability and their low salaries, pricing policies as well as the health insurance system, are to blame for such low perceived quality.

The Relationship Between Organizational Culture and Inter-Organizational Citizenship Behavior

In recent years, rapid changes in the external environment in which organizations continue their activities and uncertain market conditions have caused the borders to narrow, and organizations have to exhibit cooperative behaviors under intertwined working conditions. During the Covid-19 pandemic process, which has been going on for two years, inter-organizational citizenship, which emerged as socially-oriented behaviors at the individual level transferred to inter-organizational relations, has made the concept of behavior more important. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of organizational culture type on interorganizational citizenship behavior (IOCB). In the relevant literature, Okechukwu (2017) conducted a study with employees in three institutions in Lagos, Nigeria. The study revealed that cultural effects are essential for measuring organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and that health policies implemented without considering the effect of this variable would be inaccurate. Avci (2016), revealed that there is a positive relationship between teachers' perception of organizational culture (OC) and IOCB. Wasti and Baltaci (2016) aimed to investigate the effect of OCB on its universal and cultural dimensions. They emphasized the varying aspects of organizational citizenship behaviors in diverse cultures in the contexts of North America, China, and Turkey. Kutanis and Mercan (2015) analyzed data collected from 412 nurses employed in Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) Medical Hospitals through the survey method. As a result, a positive relationship was revealed among organizational culture and perspectives on the information, level of information sharing, and openness of intraorganizational cognitive channels, which are the dimensions of information sharing. Özdevecioglu and Akin (2013) conducted their study with 224 enterprises operating in different sectors in Kayseri to determine the relationship between the types of OC and IOCB. The results of their study showed that hierarchy and market culture had a negative relationship with IOCB and some of its subdimensions, and that clan and adhocracy culture had a positive relationship with IOCB and some of its subdimensions. Çelik and Bingöl (2007), found that there was a strong relationship between the dimensions of OC and OCB. Kalkan and Ögüt (2013), determined that participation, harmony and vision OC subdimensions positively affect OCB. When the concepts were analyzed in the context of intercultural citizenship behavior, it has been observed that employees from an individualistic culture exhibit less extra-role behavior (Wanxian and Weiwu 2007). Employees limit their citizenship behaviors in hierarchical cultures, while in organic culture;they exhibit more citizenship behavior (Somech and Drach-Zahavy 2004;Somech and Ron 2007). © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Role of Healthcare Consumerism in Public and Private Hospitals in India

Purpose Hospital service quality is important amidst the raise of healthcare consumerism. It is of prime concern in telemedicine, medical tourism and appointment booking. More over a good hospital service quality enhances the brand image of the hospital by which the hospital is able to attract more patients and in turn lead to increase hospital revenues. Healthcare consumerism offers more choices in healthcare to patients and helps patients to make informed choices. The digital world helps healthcare consumerism by allowing patients to research health issues online, share information and participate in their healthcare decisions. Healthcare information technology is also enhancing the growth of healthcare consumerism for it arranges the platform for information exchange. The two broad categories of hospitals in India are public and private hospitals. They differ in service quality perception of patients, hospital infrastructure and the socio economic profile of the patients. This study aims to arrive at the relationship of hospital service quality and healthcare consumerism in both public and private hospitals. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire is administered to out-patients for collecting data. Then using exploratory factor analysis the constructs are formed and using regression analysis the relationship is established. Findings The study concludes that healthcare consumerism has a significant relationship with hospital service quality for both public and private hospitals. The coefficient of regression line equation in public hospital for healthcare consumerism is negative and in private hospital it is positive Originality The data collection for the study is done in the beginning of COVID 19 pandemic. This study brings out the role of healthcare consumerism on hospital service quality in India. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to out-patients in India. Only regression analysis is used in this study to establish the relationship between healthcare consumerism and healthcare service quality. Practical implications Academicians and people in healthcare industry should keep paying attention to rise in healthcare consumerism and its influence on healthcare service quality in public and private hospitals when formulating strategies.

Perceptions of nurses on occupational health hazards and safety practices in Ditsobotla public hospitals in North West province.

BACKGROUND:  Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system. During the fulfilment of their duties and responsibilities, they experience various types of work-related risks, which harmfully affect their health and nursing quality. OBJECTIVES:  This study aimed to explore and describe perceptions of nurses on occupational health hazards and safety practices in Ditsobotla public hospitals of North West province. METHOD:  An exploratory, descriptive, qualitative research design was undertaken in this study. An explorative design allowed the researcher to identify key issues regarding nurses' perceptions on occupational health hazards and safety practices using Donabedian structure, process and outcome. A total of 15 nurses of different categories participated in the study that formed four focus group discussions. Semi-structured focus group discussions of three to four participants were conducted until data saturation is obtained and at the point where no new themes from participants' perceptions emerged. Creswell and Clark framework of data analysis was used to analyse data. RESULTS:  Three major categories emerged during data analysis: nurse's perception on occupational health hazards in the health settings, Donabedian framework on assessing the quality of care in relation to occupational health hazards and occupational health and safety (OHS) practices. Eight themes were identified. CONCLUSION:  Nurses' perceived different occupational hazards that affect their normal duties and responsibility in the workplace. Future interventions such as training and education on OHS policy should be adopted to promote health and well-being of the staff.

Factors associated with the use of emergency services by the Spanish population in 2017

Background: In modern health systems, emergency services (ES) constitute one of the cornerstones of health care, and they have an essential role in the conception of current health services. The objective of this work was to analyze the effect of sociodemographic characteristics and clinical factors in the use of ES.