Assessing the Electronic Evidence System Needs of Canadian Public Health Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study conducted in October, 2010, in three villages of Shahjadpur Upazila of Sirajganj district in Bangladesh. Among the rural households, those who visited medical practitioners in the last three months, were included in the study. The present study aimed to examine the pattern of prescriptions available at rural households of Bangladesh, to analyze the prescriptions whether diagnoses and/or lifestyles advice were mentioned, and to find out number of drugs and antibiotics (including their dose and duration of use) prescribed. During last three months, 68% respondents had attended a doctor's chamber; however, prescriptions were available for 57% of the respondents. More than three quarters of the prescriptions (77.6%) included 3-5 medicines, and antibiotics were prescribed to 194 (61%) respondents which constituted 21.4% of the total number of drugs prescribed. The average number of drugs and antibiotics prescribed per prescriptions was 3.8 and 1.3 respectively. Only about 23% of the respondents received antibiotics for 3-6 days, 30% for 2 days, and 46% for one day. Advice on lifestyles and diagnoses were mentioned only to 32% and 52% prescriptions respectively. The study also found that 22.6% of the prescriptions were made by unqualified doctors. Specific programs should be implemented to motivate and train medical students, practitioners and allied health professionals to provide rational prescriptions to the consumers in regards to the number of drugs as well as clarity of instructions given in the prescriptions.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v1i1.13207 South East Asia Journal of Public Health 2011:1:12-16

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Health professionals practice and associated factors towards precautionary measures for COVID-19 pandemic in public health facilities of Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0248272 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0248272

Author(s):

Abera Mersha ◽

Shitaye Shibiru ◽

Meseret Girma ◽

Gistane Ayele ◽

Agegnehu Bante ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Good Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Facilities ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Health Facilities ◽

Precautionary Measures

Introduction Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease, which caused by a novel coronavirus. The disease disrupts health systems and resulting in social, political, and economic crises. Health professionals are in front of this pandemic and always work in a high-risk environment. The best prevention for COVID-19 is avoiding exposure to the virus. Some studies reported health professional’s practice of precautionary measures for COVID-19. Nevertheless, a few have identified factors affecting. As such, this study aimed to fill those research gaps in the study setting. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 428 health professionals involved from the public health facilities of the Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia. A simple random sampling method employed, and the data collected by the interviewer-administered Open Data Kit survey tool and observational checklist. The data analyzed in Stata version 15, and a binary logistic regression model used to identify factors. In this study, a statistically significant association declared at P< 0.05. Results In this study, 35.3% (95%CI: 30.7%, 39.8%) of health professionals’ had a good practice on precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. Use hand sanitizer or wash hands continuously with soap and water (68.9%), cover nose and mouth with a tissue during sneezing or coughing (67.3%), and use facemask in crowds (56.8%) were the most common practice reported by study participants. Marital status, being married (AOR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.06, 3.18), good knowledge on the COVID-19 pandemic (AOR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.02, 3.18), and positive attitude towards precautionary measures for the COVID-19 were factors showed significant association with the practice. Conclusions The magnitude of good practice of precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic among health professionals was low. As such, different interventions to improve the knowledge and attitude of health professionals in the health care system are highly needed to boost the practice and to advance service delivery.

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Misuse of drugs in the District of Bamako, Mali

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202131902019 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 319 ◽

pp. 02019

Author(s):

Tidiane Diallo ◽

Abdourahamane Diara ◽

Sanou Khô Coulibaly ◽

Youssoul Konaté ◽

Hinde Hami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Problem ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Workers ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Analgesic Drugs

Introduction: In Mali, the irrational use of drugs constitutes a public health problem through the misuse of certain psychotropic and / or analgesic drugs for drug addiction purposes. The aim of this study was to measure the consumption of drugs diverted from their therapeutic use in Bamako. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Bamako with a sample of 260 respondents: 98 health workers and 162 clients (pharmacies) / patients (hospitals). Results: Men were more affected than women, with 62% of cases. The 15-45 age group accounted for 55% of cases. According to the results, workers and students respectively represented 19% and 17% of cases. Promethazine (20%), the combination Paracetamol / codeine / caffeine (13%) and Tramadol (11%) were the drugs most commonly used and diverted from their medical use among clients of pharmacies. According to pharmacists, the drugs affected by misuse were Misoprostol (10%), Clonazepam (9%) and Promethazine (9%). According to doctors and nurses, Misoprostol, Promethazine and diazepam were used for other purposes with 23%, 16% and 13%, respectively. Conclusion: In order to reduce this practice, a synergy of action by health professionals is essential for the rational use of drugs.

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Health professionals practice and associated factors towards precautionary measures for COVID-19 pandemic in public health facilities of Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

10.1101/2020.09.05.20188805 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Abera Mersha ◽

Shitaye Shibiru ◽

Meseret Girma ◽

Gistane Ayele ◽

Agegnehu Bante ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Good Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Facilities ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Health Facilities ◽

Precautionary Measures

AbstractIntroduction Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease, which caused by a novel coronavirus. The disease disrupts health systems and resulting in social, political, and economic crises. Health professionals are in front of this pandemic and always work in a high-risk environment. Currently, there is no vaccine or drug for the disease. Therefore, strictly practicing precautionary measures are the only option to save the life. Some studies reported health professional′s practice of precautionary measures for COVID-19. Nevertheless, a few have identified factors affecting. As such, this study aimed to fill those research gaps in the study setting. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 428 health professionals were involved from the public health facilities of the Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia. A simple random sampling method was employed, and the data collected by the interviewer-administered Open Data Kit survey tool and observational checklist. The data analyzed in Stata version 15 and a binary logistic regression model used to identify factors. In this study, a statistically significant association was declared at P<0.05. Results In this study, 35·3% (95%CI: 30·7%, 39·8%) of health professionals′ had a good practice on precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. Use hand sanitizer or wash hands continuously with soap and water (68·9%), cover nose and mouth with a tissue during sneezing or coughing (67·3%), and use facemask in crowds (56·8%) were the most common practice reported by study participants. Marital status, being married (AOR=1·84, 95%CI: 1·06, 3.18), good knowledge on the COVID-19 pandemic (AOR=2·02, 95%CI: 1·02, 3·18), and positive attitude towards precautionary measures for COVID-19 were factors showed signification association with the practice. Conclusions The magnitude of good practice of precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic among health professionals was low. As such, different interventions to improve the knowledge and attitude of health professionals in the health care system are highly needed to boost the practice and to advance service delivery.

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Disposal Practices of Unused Medications Among Patients in Public Health Centers of Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study

Current Drug Safety ◽

10.2174/1574886315666200331140400 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 105-110

Author(s):

Haile Kassahun ◽

Dugessa Tesfaye

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Centers ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Global Challenge ◽

Northeast Ethiopia ◽

Unused Medications ◽

At Home

Background: Disposal of pharmaceutical waste among patients is a global challenge especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improper medication disposal can lead to health problems and environmental contaminations. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess disposal practices of unused medications among patients in public health centers of Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 263 patients in four public health centers of Dessie town, Ethiopia from March to June, 2019. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires were used to collect data from each study subject. Results: The majority of the respondents, 224 (85.17%) had unused medications at their home during the study period. The most commonly reported disposal method in the present study was flushing down into a toilet 66 (25.09%). None of the respondents practiced returning unused medications to Pharmacy. Moreover, 85 (32.31%) of the respondents reported never disposing their medications and believed that it is acceptable to store medications at home for future use. Conclusion: In the present study, there was a high practice of keeping medications at home and most of the disposal practices were not recommended methods. In addition, most of the respondents did not get advice from pharmacists and other health care professionals on how to dispose off unused medications. Hence, there is a need for proper education and guidance of patients regarding disposal practices of unused medications.

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Instagramming our way through public health communication: why and who is using it?

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.079 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

R Vareda ◽

T Garcia ◽

J Rachadell

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Media ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Communicable Diseases ◽

Healthy Lifestyles ◽

Communication Tool ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Non Communicable Diseases

Abstract Background From disease prevention to health promotion, communication is key for Public Health (PH) practice and, according to the 9th Essential Public Health Operation its goal is to improve populations health literacy and capacity to access, understand and use information. Though social media is frequently presented as a potentially useful tool for PH communication, there is a lack of evidence about its effectiveness and impact on PH outcomes. This study researches Instagram® as a PH tool and aims to know who is using it, what content is shared on the platform and how much engagement there is. Methods This cross-sectional study regards information on 1000 Instagram® posts with the hashtags publichealth, publichealthpromotion, healthpromotion, publichealthmatters and publichealtheducation. Authors categorized post content and creators, and reviewed the number of likes and comments per post to determine engagement. Data analysis was performed on IBM SPSS® Statistics. Results The most common content categories were communicable diseases (n = 383), non-communicable diseases (n = 258) and healthy lifestyles (n = 143). Health professionals post more about communicable diseases (43,6%) and non-professionals about healthy lifestyles (36,1%). Non-professionals (n = 191) post about PH issues almost as much as health professionals (n = 220) and PH associations (n = 201). Most don't reference their sources (n = 821). Posts on communicable diseases have the most likes and comments per post (mean of 172 likes and 3,1 comments). Conclusions Half the Instagram® posts analysed in this study were made by health professionals or organizations. Communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and healthy lifestyles were the most frequent content categories and had the most engagement. The majority of posts didn't reference their sources. Though Instagram® seems to be a potential PH communication tool, further research is needed to confirm its benefits for PH. Key messages Social media platforms like Instagram® are potentially powerful tools for PH communication. There is a need to understand the efficacy of social media as health promotion tools.

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Obstetric Violence in Spain (Part III): Healthcare Professionals, Times and Areas

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3359

Author(s):

Desirée Mena-Tudela ◽

Susana Iglesias-Casás ◽

Víctor Manuel González-Chordá ◽

María Jesús Valero-Chillerón ◽

Laura Andreu-Pejó ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Informed Consent ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Obstetric Violence

Background: Obstetric violence is a worldwide public health problem, which seems greater in Spain. As no studies were found that identify the most representative healthcare professionals, times, and areas involved in obstetric violence, the objective of this work was to study at what time of maternity, with which professionals, and in what areas women identified obstetric violence. Methods: This descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was performed from January 2018 to June 2019. The main variables were the area (hospital, primary care, both), the time (pregnancy, birth, puerperium), and the professionals attending to women. Results: Our sample comprised 17,541 participants. The area identified with the most obstetric violence for the different studied variables was hospitals. Women identified more obstetric violence at time of birth. Findings such as lack of information and informed consent (74.2%), and criticism of infantile behavior and treatment (87.6%), stood out. The main identified healthcare professionals were midwives and gynecologists, and “other” professionals repeatedly appeared. Conclusions: Having identified the professionals, times, and areas of most obstetric violence in Spain, it seems necessary to reflect on not only the Spanish National Health System’s structure and management but also on healthcare professionals’ training.

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