Abstract
Background Pesticide poisoning is a major public health problem in many Low-and-Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Pesticides are responsible for a significant percentage of deaths globally with majority occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Majority of the pesticide related deaths can be averted if poisoning patients are managed well. However, the quality of care given to pesticide poisoning patients is still insufficient especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study was aimed at exploring doctors’ experiences on quality of care for pesticide poisoning cases in hospitals in Kampala, Uganda. Methods Fifteen (15) in-depth interviews were conducted with doctors who were directly involved in management of pesticide poisoning patients in the accident and emergency, Medicine, Pediatrics and Intensive Care Unit wards in 5 hospitals in Kampala, Uganda. All interviews were transcribed and subjected to directed content analysis with the guidance of the Donabedian model of quality of care which emphasizes structure, process and outcome measures as pertinent ensuring quality care. Results Presence of hospital units such as medical wards including Intensive Care Unit (ICU), pediatrics and internal medicine; availability of equipment and clinical guidelines such as airway, breathing and consciousness (ABC) protocol; and doctors’ knowledge and experiences improved the quality of care given to pesticide poisoning patients. Doctors relied on history, and signs and symptoms to establish the cause and severity of pesticide poisoning. However, some patients and caretakers provided inaccurate pesticide poisoning history. Due to its availability in hospitals, doctors largely relied on atropine to manage pesticide poisoning cases. Although majority of the cases treated recovered, those due to suicide were further referred to the hospital psychiatrist. Sharing experiences of managing pesticide poisoning patients among health workers and engaging in sensitization outreaches against pesticide poisoning were reported as potential activities to improve quality of care for pesticide poisoning patients. Conclusion Doctors reflected on the structure, process and outcome measures of quality of care given to pesticide poisoning patients. The implications of hospital structures and clinical process to the quality of the outcomes of care demonstrates their importance to improving management of pesticide poisoning cases in hospitals in Kampala, Uganda.
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