Inequity in the distribution of rural family physicians in Iran: a cross sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 258-266
Author(s):  
Rasoul Tabari-Khomeiran ◽  
Elham Ehsani-Chimeh ◽  
Ali Davoudi Kiakalayeh ◽  
Enayatollah Homaie Rad ◽  
Sajad Delavari

Purpose Equal distribution of health human resources is a major issue to achieve human rights in healthcare. Rural family physicians (RFPs) as a part of health human resources play an important role in delivering health services, so the purpose of this paper is to calculate amount of inequity in distribution of RFPs in Iran. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors tried to find inequity in the distribution of RFPs in the provinces of Iran. For this purpose, inequity indices containing concentration curves and indices were calculated by ranking health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE). Furthermore, a regression model was estimated to find the pattern and influencing factors of inequity in the distribution of RFPs. Findings The number of male RFPs was significantly higher in Sistan va Baloochestan, and in the same line, the number of female RFPs was higher in Zanjan province. Concentration index of total RFPs was 0.0568 (not significant) (males= 0.041, females= 0.0718). The results of regression model showed that HALE and per capita GDP did not have any significant relationship with RFPs distribution (HALE p=0.753, GDP p=0.792). Originality/value The RFP plan was successful in enhancing equal access to physician and health care services relatively. However, gender imbalance in distribution of RFPs was high especially in less-developed regions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 289-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benon Muhumuza ◽  
Sudi Nangoli

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to revisit the potential of human capital development to predict commitment from an empirical perspective. This followed the fact that while organisations continue to invest a lot of resources into development of their human capital, a growing tendency of the trained staff to quickly abandon the organisation and move on to search for greener pastures has also been registered.Design/methodology/approachThis study takes a positivistic approach. It is an explanatory, cross-sectional study that is based on a case study approach.FindingsThe findings revealed that developing human resources still leads to enhanced commitment among staff. The findings provide empirical support for the tenets of the human capital development theory.Research limitations/implicationsInvestment in development of human resources is still a worthy while cause for organisations as it positively and significantly contributes to commitment.Practical implicationsWhile organisations ought to keep watch of the costs that come with human capital development endeavours the practice of developing human resources should be continued as it contributes to the organisational performance of staff.Originality/valueThe paper deepens the understanding on how human capital development is currently enhancing the commitment of organisational staff in a typical developing economy and sector. Such knowledge provides a clear basis for allocating resources on people development endeavours.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwadwo Owusu Akuffo ◽  
Eldad Agyei-Manu ◽  
David Ben Kumah ◽  
Anthony Danso-Appiah ◽  
Abubakar Sadik Mohammed ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Job satisfaction describes an employee’s motivation and/or feeling of satisfaction towards his/her work. Globally, healthcare professionals’ turnover and retention play a critical role in the delivery of essential health services. In Ghana, however, little has been done to ascertain job satisfaction levels among human resources for eye-health. The objective of this study therefore was to assess job satisfaction and its associated factors among optometrists in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 304 registered and licensed optometrists of the Ghana Optometric Association between September 2018 and June 2019. A validated, well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on socio-demographic characteristics of participants and measures on job satisfaction. Scores from a five-point Likert scale was employed to examine job satisfaction and its associated factors. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between overall job satisfaction and its associated factors using Rasch logit scores. Results A total of 214 optometrists gave valid responses to the questionnaires used for the final analysis. The mean (± SD) score of the overall perception of job satisfaction among optometrists was 3.36 (± 1.00), with 74.3% of them being satisfied with their jobs. After statistical adjustment, Good work-life balance (Unstandardized co-efficient (β) = 0.288, p = 0.001), Salary (β = 0.222, p < 0.0005), Supervision (β = 0.117, p = 0.044), and Continuing Education Opportunities (β = 0.138, p = 0.017) were all significantly associated with higher levels of overall job satisfaction. Conclusions Most optometrists were satisfied with their jobs. Effective strategic planning and management of human resources for eye-health in Ghana are essential in the development of quality eye-health systems and the provision of high-quality eyecare services.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manola Comar ◽  
Simone Benvenuto ◽  
Marzia Lazzerini ◽  
Giorgio Fedele ◽  
Egidio Barbi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Data on the effective burden of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in pediatric population are very limited, mostly because of the higher rate of asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic cases among children. Updated data on COVID-19 prevalence are needed for their relevance in public health and for infection control policies. In this single-centre cross-sectional study we aimed to assess prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection through IgG antibodies detection in an Italian pediatric cohort. Methods The study was conducted in January 2021 among both inpatients and outpatients referring to Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health “Burlo Garofolo” in Trieste, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Italy, who needed for blood test for any reason. Collected samples were sent to Italian National Institute of Health for analysis through chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA). Results One hundred sixty-nine patients were included in the study, with a median age of 10.5 ± 4.1 years, an equal distribution for sex (49.7% female patients), and a 55.6% prevalence of comorbidities. Prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 trimeric Spike protein IgG antibodies was 9.5% (n = 16), with a medium titre of 482.3 ± 387.1 BAU/mL. Having an infected cohabitant strongly correlated with IgG positivity (OR 23.83, 95% CI 7.19–78.98, p < 0.0001), while a cohabitant healthcare worker wasn’t associated with a higher risk (OR 1.53, 95% CI 0.4–5.86, p 0.46). All of the 5 patients who had previously tested positive to a nasopharyngeal swab belonged to the IgG positive group, with a 3-month interval from the infection at most. Conclusion We assessed a 9.5% SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a pediatric cohort from Friuli Venezia-Giulia region in January 2021, showing a substantial increase after the second peak of the pandemic occurred starting from October 2020, compared to 1% prevalence observed by National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) in July 2020.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-87
Author(s):  
Linda Nesse ◽  
Marianne Thorsen Gonzalez ◽  
Geir Aamodt ◽  
Ruth Kjærsti Raanaas

Purpose Recovery for residents who experience co-occurring problems and live in supported housing takes place in everyday contexts. This study aims to explore residents’ self-reported recovery and quality of life and examine the relationships between these factors and issues in supported housing. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted at 21 supported housing sites in six cities across Norway. A total of 104 residents (76 men and 28 women) responded to measures of recovery (Recovery Assessment Scale – Revised), life satisfaction (Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life), affect (single items), staff support (Brief INSPIRE) and sense of home (single items). Findings Linear regression analyses indicated associations between recovery and staff support (B = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.01-0.02, ß = 0.39), housing satisfaction (B = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.07-0.22, ß = 0.38), sense of home (B = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.14-0.32, ß = 0.49) and satisfaction with personal economy (B = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.05-0.17, ß = 0.33). Similarly, associations were found between life satisfaction and staff support (B = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.02-0.04, ß = 0.46), housing satisfaction (B = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.46-0.80, ß = 0.60), sense of home (B = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.42-0.87, ß = 0.51) and satisfaction with personal economy (B = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.19-0.50, ß = 0.39). Originality/value The findings imply that core issues in supported housing, namely, staff support, housing satisfaction, sense of home and satisfaction with personal economy, are associated with recovery and quality of life.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 3046
Author(s):  
Francisco Timbó de Paiva Neto ◽  
Giovana Zarpellon Mazo ◽  
Paula Fabrício Sandreschi ◽  
Daniel Rogério Petreça ◽  
Cassiano Ricardo Rech

The Ministry of Health established the Academia da Saúde Program (PAS) with the objective of contributing to the promotion of health, the implementation of policies for the conduct of physical activities, physical activity and leisure and the reduction of healthy lifestyles. The objective of this study was to identify managers of physical activity programs on the barriers to the operation of the PAS poles in Santa Catarina (SC). A cross-sectional study was carried out with 26 managers (61.5% women) of physical activity programs in Santa Catarina. As compensation payments were withdrawn from the base for updating health statistics. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard avoidance, absolute and relative frequency) were made for data analysis. The results triggered a lack of human resources, lack of leadership, lack of materials, facilities, equipment and a lack of standardized instruments to carry out an evaluation of actions. It was concluded that organizational, infrastructure and human resources barriers are present in the day-to-day actions of PAS in SC.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kochu Therisa Karingada ◽  
Michael Sony

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has caught many educational institutions by surprise and warranted an abrupt migration from offline to online learning. This has resulted in an education change, without any time for due consideration, as regards its impact on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on students. The purpose of this study is to investigate MSD related to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate students in India. In total, 261 students participated in this online survey.FindingsThe study finds that around 80% of students have reported some symptom in the head, neck and eyes since they started online learning. In total, 58% have reported MSD symptom in the right shoulder and 56% in the right hand fingers. Besides, more than 40 % of students experienced some MSD symptoms, in almost all the body parts studied, due to online learning. Correlation analysis is conducted between time spent on online learning per day and MSD symptoms.Originality/valueThis is the first study conducted on MSD and online learning during COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibraheem Khaled Abu Siam ◽  
María Rubio Gómez

Purpose Access to health-care services for refugees are always impacted by many factors and strongly associated with population profile, nature of crisis and capacities of hosing countries. Throughout refugee’s crisis, the Jordanian Government has adopted several healthcare access policies to meet the health needs of Syrian refugees while maintaining the stability of the health-care system. The adopted health-care provision policies ranged from enabling to restricting and from affordable to unaffordable. The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of restricted level of access to essential health services among Syrian refugees in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach This paper used findings of a cross-sectional surveys conducted over urban Syrian refugees in Jordan in 2017 and 2018 over two different health-care access policies. The first were inclusive and affordable, whereas the other considered very restricting policy owing to high inflation in health-care cost. Access indicators from four main thematic areas were selected including maternal health, family planning, child health and monthly access of household. A comparison between both years’ access indicators was conducted to understand access barriers and its impact. Findings The comparison between findings of both surveys shows a sudden shift in health-care access and utilization behaviors with increased barriers level thus increased health vulnerabilities. Additionally, the finding during implementation of restricted access policy proves the tendency among some refugees groups to adopt negative adaptation strategies to reduce health-care cost. The participants shifted to use a fragmented health-care, reduced or delayed care seeking and use drugs irrationally weather by self-medication or reduce drug intake. Originality/value Understanding access barriers to health services and its negative short-term and long-term impact on refugees’ health status as well as the extended risks to the host communities will help states that hosting refugees building rational access policy to protect whole community and save public health gains during and post crisis. Additionally, it will support donors to better mobilize resources according to the needs while the humanitarian actors and service providers will better contribute to the public health stability during refugee’s crisis.


Author(s):  
Jubina Bency A. T. ◽  
Sarangi . ◽  
Sebastian Roy ◽  
Shalu Sara Mathew ◽  
Shamseena A. ◽  
...  

Background: Hearing loss is a cause of global concern. Percussionists are exposed to greater levels of continuous or intermittent noise than others. Little is known about the relationship between percussion activity and hearing impairment. The early detection of the same and subsequent management makes a significant reduction in the burden of health care services. The objective was to study the proportion of hearing impairment in percussionists in the district of Thrissur using an IOS based mobile application.Methods: A cross sectional study was done on percussionists from Thrissur district who has experience of more than five years and has no congenital or traumatic hearing loss. A predesigned semi structured questionnaire was given and hearing tests were done using a mobile application U hear in a sound proof setting to understand the current state of hearing ability amoung the percussionists.Results: A total of 39 subjects were involved in our study of which all were males. Mean age of our study population was 30.44+12.04. most of them were diagnosed with at least mild degree of hearing loss of one of the ear or both the ears. 15.4% of them had mild degree of hearing loss, 64.1% had moderate degree of hearing loss and 20.5% had severe hearing loss.Conclusions: The study shows percussionists are more exposed to sounds of various frequencies for longer duration, they are more prone to hearing loss. The study brought out that age is directly proportional to hearing loss, music induced hearing loss progress at a rate proportion to the work experience. 


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roya Malekzadeh ◽  
Samereh Yaghoubian ◽  
Edris Hasanpoor ◽  
Matina Ghasemi

Purpose Responsiveness is a reaction to the reasonable expectations of patients regarding ethical and non-clinical aspects of the health-care system. Responsiveness is a characteristic of health-care system and the observance of the patient’s rights. The purpose of this study is to compare the responsiveness of the health-care system based on the hospital ownership in Mazandaran province in Iran. Design/methodology/approach The cross-sectional study design was used on 1,083 patients referred to public and private hospitals and hospitals affiliated to social security organization in Mazandaran province in 2017. The World Health Organization’s responsibility questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 21. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA results are presented is the results section. Findings All responsiveness dimensions were salient for respondents. The response rate in the selected hospitals was very close, which ranged from 85.7 to 90.2%, and there was no significant difference between public, private and social security hospitals (p > 0.05). The most crucial responsiveness dimension in hospitals was autonomy. Originality/value In the current study, the dimensions of communication and confidentiality were identified as priority dimensions based on the least score for breeding actions to improve the responsiveness of the health-care system. At the end, some useful recommendations such as re-engineering the processes, training to engage the employees with patients and encouraging them to fill the gap were suggested.


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