Exploring healthcare service quality in the eastern cape: a case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Tatanqu, Camagu
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Medical care , Customer services -- Management , Customer services -- Quality control
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/65456 , vital:74154
- Description: Eminent access to healthcare services has excessive social benefits to the poor, which in return result to many spill-over economic development of a country. A healthy society is a fundamental component of strategies of contesting poverty. Hence, improved ease of access to quality healthcare succeeds the reduction in poverty through a development of more productive human capital. It is in this context that the South African Democratic Government has ensured that amongst the orders of the day, quality healthcare is position as one of the highest priorities that require special focus. This study aims to identify and provide an understanding and appreciation of possible means, presented by the emerging 4IR Technologies, endeavoured to improve the quality of healthcare service in public healthcare institutions within South Africa. It is a reality that the future of medical care is most likely to change due to these emerging 4IR Technologies that are constantly transforming our daily lives. As a result, there is an evolution that is already going in the medical space, aimed at working with healthcare practitioners to find alternative solutions to deliver quality healthcare services. Amid these advancements, Information and Communication Technology’s solutions have taken a centre stage, providing means to increase access to quality healthcare, decrease costs, eliminate medical errors, and bridge the digital divide between rural and urban healthcare centres. Hence, the primary objective of this research is to identify new ways that will be fundamental in providing prominence future healthcare services. Qualitative Research Methodology, which applies a case study approach, was identified as the preferred methodology to be utilised to respond to the research objectives of this study. This research will therefore be of value to various stakeholders, more specifically to Government and Policy Makers, who are tasked to transform the country’s healthcare services. It will identify selected areas to be improved, and then recommend solutions and action plans to be implemented, in pursuit of enhancing quality of service provided in public healthcare centres. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Assessing Diabetes distress amongst type 2 Diabetic patients at the Mhlontlo sub-district healthcare clinics in the OR Tambo health District
- Authors: Mboniso, Veronica
- Date: 2022-12
- Subjects: Diabetes , Medical care , Primary health care -- OR Tambo Health District
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , Thesis
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/60111 , vital:63096
- Description: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic endocrine condition that requires lifestyle changes and a commitment to its management to ensure patient well-being, although this can be challenging for various reasons. In addition, diabetes is a behavioural and emotionally demanding condition that could affect the psychosocial well-being of a patient. Diabetes distress is quite common in people living with diabetes, as they lose hope easily, especially when their diabetes is uncontrolled. The research study identified and described factors contributing to diabetes distress amongst type 2 diabetic patients at Mhlontlo Sub-District healthcare clinics in the OR Tambo Health District. Probability sampling was used to select patients who were 18 years and older after approval from Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and relevant authorisation was obtained. The study was conducted between August and October 2021, using a quantitative, exploratory and descriptive research design. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which had been adapted from the Diabetes Distress Scale-17 (DDS-17) created by Polonsky et al. (2005). A total of 136 diabetic patients completed the questionnaire, which comprised three sections: demographic information (Section A); the DDS-17 (Section B); and contributing factors to diabetes distress in diabetic patients at Mhlontlo Sub-District healthcare clinics (Section C). The researcher conducted a pilot study in one of the clinics to check the feasibility of the questionnaire. After the data were collected, it was statistically analysed with the assistance of a statistician to generate descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysed data revealed that most of the diabetic patients indicated that they found travelling far to fetch medication and standing in long queues at the clinic distressing. Therefore, they wanted the Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme to be rolled out to bring medication to them. The results also revealed that the patients' diabetes distress was exacerbated by them having to travel to clinics in search of medication when their usual clinic had no adequate v stocks of medication. Another factor contributing to the patients’ diabetes distress was the lack of a doctor on site. The patients indicated that doctors should be available at the clinics, even periodically, to address problems that cannot be solved by nurses. The absence of haemoglucotest (HGT machines at clinics was another contributing factor to diabetes distress. Most of the patients in the study felt that they would manage their diabetes better if the government supplied these machines. The results informed various recommendations that might help the management of OR Tambo Health District to make changes and thus minimise the diabetes distress reported by its patients. However, the study had limitations, although it observed the principles of reliability and validity. Moreover, ethical considerations were guided by the Belmont Report, and the study adhered to the principles of informed consent, respect for persons, anonymity, confidentiality, beneficence, nonmaleficence and distributive justice. , Thesis (MNur) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Lifestyle Sciences, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-12
An information privacy model for primary health care facilities
- Authors: Boucher, Duane Eric
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Data protection , Privacy, Right of , Medical records -- Access control , Primary health care , Medical care , Caregivers , Community health nursing , Confidential communications , Information technology -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Information Systems)
- Identifier: vital:11139 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007181 , Data protection , Privacy, Right of , Medical records -- Access control , Primary health care , Medical care , Caregivers , Community health nursing , Confidential communications , Information technology -- Management
- Description: The revolutionary migration within the health care sector towards the digitisation of medical records for convenience or compliance touches on many concerns with respect to ensuring the security of patient personally identifiable information (PII). Foremost of these is that a patient’s right to privacy is not violated. To this end, it is necessary that health care practitioners have a clear understanding of the various constructs of privacy in order to ensure privacy compliance is maintained. This research project focuses on an investigation of privacy from a multidisciplinary philosophical perspective to highlight the constructs of information privacy. These constructs together with a discussion focused on the confidentiality and accessibility of medical records results in the development of an artefact represented in the format of a model. The formulation of the model is accomplished by making use of the Design Science research guidelines for artefact development. Part of the process required that the artefact be refined through the use of an Expert Review Process. This involved an iterative (three phase) process which required (seven) experts from the fields of privacy, information security, and health care to respond to semi-structured questions administered with an interview guide. The data analysis process utilised the ISO/IEC 29100:2011(E) standard on privacy as a means to assign thematic codes to the responses, which were then analysed. The proposed information privacy model was discussed in relation to the compliance requirements of the South African Protection of Personal Information (PoPI) Bill of 2009 and their application in a primary health care facility. The proposed information privacy model provides a holistic view of privacy management that can residually be used to increase awareness associated with the compliance requirements of using patient PII.
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- Date Issued: 2013