Decentralising diabetes care from hospitals to primary health care centres in Malawi

BackgroundNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and hypertension have become a prominent public health concern in Malawi, where health care services for NCDs are generally restricted to urban centres and district hospitals, while the vast majority of Malawians live in rural settings. Whether similar quality of diabetes care can be delivered at health centres compared to hospitals is not known.MethodsWe implemented a pilot project of decentralized diabetes care at eight health centres in four districts in Malawi. We described differences between district hospitals and rural health centres in terms of patient characteristics, diabetes complications, cardiovascular risk factors, and aspects of the quality of care and used multivariate logistic regression to explore factors associated with adequate diabetes and blood pressure control.ResultsBy March 2019, 1339 patients with diabetes were registered of whom 286 (21%) received care at peripheral health centres. The median duration of care of patients in the diabetes clinics during the study period was 8.8 months. Overall, HIV testing coverage was 93.6%, blood pressure was recorded in 92.4%; 68.5% underwent foot examination of whom 35.0% had diabetic complications; 30.1% underwent fundoscopy of whom 15.6% had signs of diabetic retinopathy. No significant differences in coverage of testing for diabetes complications were observed between health facility types. Neither did we find significant differences in retention in care (72.1 vs. 77.6%; p=0.06), adequate diabetes control (35.0% vs. 37.8%; p=0.41) and adequate blood pressure control (51.3% vs. 49.8%; p=0.66) between hospitals and health centres. In multivariate analysis, male sex was associated with adequate diabetes control, while lower age and normal body mass index were associated with adequate blood pressure control; health facility type was not associated with either.ConclusionQuality of care did not appear to differ between hospitals and health centres, but was insufficient at both levels.     

Human factors barriers to the effective use of ten HIV clinical reminders

ObjectiveSubstantial variations in adherence to guidelines for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care have been documented. To evaluate their effectiveness in improving quality of care, ten computerized clinical reminders (CRs) were implemented at two pilot and eight study sites. The aim of this study was to identify human factors barriers to the use of these CRs.DesignObservational study was conducted of CRs in use at eight outpatient clinics for one day each and semistructured interviews were conducted with physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and case managers.MeasurementsDetailed handwritten field notes of interpretations and actions using the CRs and responses to interview questions were used for measurement.ResultsBarriers present at more than one site were (1) workload during patient visits (8 of 8 sites), (2) time to document when a CR was not clinically relevant (8 of 8 sites), (3) inapplicability of the CR due to context-specific reasons (9 of 26 patients), (4) limited training on how to use the CR software for rotating staff (5 of 8 sites) and permanent staff (3 of 8 sites), (5) perceived reduction of quality of provider–patient interaction (3 of 23 permanent staff), and (6) the decision to use paper forms to enable review of resident physician orders prior to order entry (2 of 8 sites).ConclusionSix human factors barriers to the use of HIV CRs were identified. Reducing these barriers has the potential to increase use of the CRs and thereby improve the quality of HIV care.     

安徽省紧密型城市医联体核心医院医务人员对双向转诊运行现状的认知及满意度研究

目的 探讨安徽省紧密型城市医联体核心医院医务人员对双向转诊运行现状的认知、满意度及影响因素,为提升医疗卫生服务的连续性,推进分级诊疗制度落地做实。方法 采用多阶段分层随机抽样抽取皖中合肥市第二人民医院紧密型城市医联体、皖北宿州市立医院紧密型城市医联体和皖南池州市人民医院紧密型城市医联体核心医院的511名医务人员为调查对象。采用自制问卷调查医务人员对双向转诊运行现状的认知和满意度情况,并采用二元回归模型分析影响医务人员满意度的因素。结果139名（27.20%）医务人员对双向转诊运行现状表示满意。二元回归分析结果显示,性别、职称、是否了解双向转诊、所在单位对双向转诊宣传力度、双向转诊制度必要性认知是影响其满意度的因素（P均<0.05）。调查的511名核心医院医务人员中有397人（77.69%）认为患者不信任基层医疗机构的服务能力、338人（66.14%）认为基层医疗机构的服务水平有限、222人（43.44%）认为医疗机构间经济利益分配不均衡、341人（66.73%）认为没有统一的双向转诊标准和指南、323人（63.21%）配套的政策支持不到位、301人（58.90%）认为医疗机构间缺...     

Prevalence and correlates of herbal medicine use among Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) clients at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Blantyre Malawi: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThere has been an unprecedented explosion in the popularity of herbal preparations during the last few decades. Herbal medicines are commonly used by HIV/AIDs clients. There is limited data on the prevalence of herbal medicine and correlating factors of herbal medicine use in Malawi. This study establishes prevalence and factors contributing to the use of herbal medicine among HIV/AIDS clients attending the ART clinic at QECH, Blantyre Malawi.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was used to interview 211 conveniently sampled clients at QECH ART clinic. The questionnaire addressed socio-demographic, clinical characteristics, NCD-HIV comorbidity, and herbal medicine utilization. The main outcome of the study was herbal medicine use since the initiation of ART. Logistic regression analysis was done in Stata version 16. Both unadjusted and adjusted models were fitted for potential confounders.ResultsThe prevalence of use of herbal medicine was reported in 17.5% (n=37) of the ART clients. The adjusted logistic regression analysis showed that urban residence was statistically associated with reduced use of herbal medicine (adjusted Odds Ratio – AOR: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.169, 0.976).ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of use of herbal medicine among clients taking ART. Herbal Medicine has the potential to cover the gaps in health coverage in rural communities.     

The Malawi Orthopaedic Association/AO Alliance guidelines and standards for open fracture management in Malawi: a national consensus statement

BackgroundOpen fractures are common injuries in Malawi that pose a large burden on the healthcare system and result in long-term disability.AimEstablishing a multiprofessional agreement on the management of open fractures in Malawi from a consensus meeting.MethodsAO Alliance convened a consensus meeting to build an agreement on the management of open fractures in Malawi. Eighteen members from different professions and various regions of Malawi participated in a 1-day consensus meeting on 7 September 2019. Prior to the meeting the British Orthopaedic Audit Standards for Trauma (BOAST) for open fractures, as well as relevant systematic reviews and seminal literature were circulated. Panel members gave presentations on open fracture management, followed by an open discussion meeting. At the 1-day consensus meeting panel members developed statements for each standard and guideline. Panel members then voted to accept or reject the statements.ResultsSubstantial agreement (no rejections) was reached for all 17 guidelines and the associated terminology was agreed on. These guidelines were then presented to the members of the Malawi Orthopaedic Association (MOA) at their annual general meeting on 28 September 2019 and all participants agreed to adopt them.ConclusionsThese MOA/AO Alliance guidelines aim to set a standard for open fracture management that can be regularly measured and audited in Malawi to improve care for these patients.     

Non-communicable respiratory disease in Malawi: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundNon-communicable respiratory diseases are important contributors to morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan African countries such as Malawi.AimTo conduct a systematic review of the available literature relating to chronic respiratory disease in Malawi.MethodsWe conducted a systematic protocol-driven literature search of key scientific databases including Scopus and Medline. Papers were independently assessed for eligibility by two authors and included if they reported objective measures (including self-reported standard symptoms) of chronic respiratory disease and were conducted in Malawi. A meta-analysis of available estimates was then conducted. We re-analysed data from three of these studies in a secondary data analysis to allow for between-study comparisons.ResultsOur search identified 393 papers of which 17 (5 involving children and 12 involving adults) met the inclusion criteria. Wheeze was the symptom most frequently reported in children in the community (12.1%), hospital (11.2%) and HIV clinic (8.1%) settings. Cough was the symptom most frequently reported by adults in the community (3–18%). Spirometric abnormalities varied substantially between studies. For example, in adults, airflow obstruction varied between 2.3% and 20% and low forced vital capacity (FVC) varied between 2.7% and 52.8%.ConclusionWe identified a high burden of chronic respiratory symptoms and abnormal spirometry (particularly low FVC) within paediatric and adult populations in Malawi. The estimates for country-wide burden related to this disease were limited by the heterogeneity of the methods used to assess symptoms and spirometry. There is an urgent need to develop a better understanding of the determinants and natural history of non-communicable respiratory disease across the life-course in Malawi.     

Socio-demographic characteristics associated with HIV and syphilis seroreactivity among pregnant women in Blantyre,Malawi, 2000–2004

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate socio-demographic factors associated with HIV and syphilis seroreactivity in pregnant Malawians presenting for antenatal care in late third trimester of pregnancy.

Methods

Between December 2000 and March 2004 at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital Blantyre, Malawi, we collected cross-sectional clinical and socioeconomic data from consenting women. HIV-1 status was determined using rapid HIV antibody tests and syphilis seroreactivity was determined using Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) and confirmed with Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA).

Results

Of 3,824 women screened for HIV, 1156 (30%) were HIV seropositive and 198 (5%) were RPR and TPHA seroreactive. In the multivariate analysis, HIV infection was positively associated with elevated socio-economic status, being formerly married, and age, but not with education level. HIV prevalence was lower in women of Yao ethnicity than in other women (OR: 0.78, 95%CI: 0.64 – 0.95). Increased maternal education was negatively associated with syphilis seroreactivity.

Conclusions

The seroprevalence of HIV and syphilis among women attending the antenatal ward in Blantyre remains unacceptably high. Demographic correlates of HIV and syphilis infections were different. Our results demonstrate the need for better strategies to prevent HIV and syphilis in women and calls for optimizing antenatal syphilis screening and treatment in Malawi.     

Survival of people living with HIV after treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine in Henan province of China: a retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveTo provide survival estimates of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) after treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in rural China, to identify the prognostic factors at enrollment, and to explore the effectiveness of TCM in treating PLHIV.MethodsPLHIV who enrolled in national TCM HIV treatment trial program in October 2004 were analyzed in this study and followed up to October 2010. Survival time was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier curve and hazard ratios, and identifying prognostic factors were computed through Cox proportional hazard models.ResultsA total of 1666 PLHIV were included with 102 591 person-months of follow-up. Overall, 312 (18.7%) patients died. The total mortality rate over the study period was 3.6 per 100 person-years, which was lower than the worldwide rate. The cumulative survival rate was 95.9% at 1 year [95% confidence interval (CI) (94.8-96.8)] and 80.4% at 6 years [95% Cl (78.4-82.3)]. Elevated death risks emerged among males, older individuals, and those with lower CD4+ T-cell counts.ConclusionsTCM could increase survival and lengthen the life span of PLHIV in Henan province of China, as shown by our retrospective cohort study. Factors such as sex, age, education, and CD4+ T-cell counts correlated to survival. However, retrospective cohorts bias the data, so more prospective studies should be performed to confirm our primary results.     

Enabling adoption and use of new health information technology during implementation: Roles and strategies for internal and external support personnel

ObjectiveSuccessful technological implementations frequently involve individuals who serve as mediators between end users, management, and technology developers. The goal for this project was to evaluate the structure and activities of such mediators in a large-scale electronic health record implementation.Materials and MethodsField notes from observations taken during implementation beginning in November 2017 were analyzed qualitatively using a thematic analysis framework to examine the relationship between specific types of mediators and the type and level of support to end users.ResultsWe found that support personnel possessing both contextual knowledge of the institution’s workflow and training in the new technology were the most successful in mediation of adoption and use. Those that lacked context of either technology or institutional workflow often displayed barriers in communication, trust, and active problem solving.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that institutional investment in technology training and explicit programs to foster skills in mediation, including roles for professionals with career development opportunities, prior to implementation can be beneficial in easing the pain of system transition.     

HIV and AIDS workplace interventions; Gaps between policy and practice at the College of Medicine

Introduction

This study set out to identify gaps between policy and practice of HIV and AIDS workplace interventions in the University of Malawi, in particular College of Medicine in line with the UNIMA HIV and AIDS policy.

Objectives

The main objective was to establish whether the HIV and AIDS workplace interventions at College of Medicine were in line and guided by the University of Malawi HIV and AIDS policy.

Methods

This was a cross sectional qualitative study. A random sample of 25students and 15 members of staff were interviewed using in-depth interviews. Interviews were tape-recorded and data was analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Results

There are a number of activities relating to HIV and AIDS in place while others are still in the pipeline, however the majority of respondents did not know about the UNIMA HIV and AIDS policy or any HIV and AIDS activities that are guided by the policy. This is due to lack of interest on their part or lack of knowledge on the existence of the workplace programme.

Conclusion

The COM HIV and AIDS committee should strive to fast track key programme areas such as VCT centre and clinic and coordination of different activities to increase programme visibility and patronage.     

The reality of despair: AIDS in Malawi.

While completing a recent medical elective in the Central African country of Malawi, medical student Dale Needham learned firsthand that HIV/AIDS represents a true pandemic in Africa. By the end of 1993, Malawi had the continent's highest per capita number of cumulative reported AIDS cases. Although Canadian physicians have had their own struggles helping patients with HIV/AIDS, many more battles are being fought in countries like Malawi, where financial resources are limited. In Africa, HIV-positive people of all ages suffer incredibly from diseases such as protein energy malnutrition, tuberculosis and cryptococcal meningitis. Primary health care programs, education in the primary schools and community awareness and support are partial answers to the pandemic.     

Impact of HIV and AIDS on the eldery: a case study of Chiladzulu district

HIV may affect the elderly in a number of ways. They may become infected themselves; their children may suffer prolonged illness and incapacity, and need the elderly to look after them; the same children may then die from the illness, leaving the elderly without the support of the next generation; this bereavement also leaves the older people to meet funeral costs and then to take care of orphans left behind. HIV has impacts on old people in ways that are social , economic, psychological and physical in nature.

Aims

We wanted to understand the socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS on lives of older people following the death of their productive children, and to examine how the elderly struggle to take care of HIV/AIDS orphans. While it is generally appreciated that older people undergo such hardships, little research has been done in Malawi to unravel the magnitude of these problems. We hope that our findings will increase awareness and lead to more being done to alleviate the problems faced by older people as a result of HIV/AIDS.

Results

The results reveal that older people have no alternative but to provide care and support to their ill children, and following the death of their children to become parents again in taking care of the orphaned grandchildren. This is a particularly big challenge in a country like Malawi, dependent on hand-hoeing for subsistence agriculture, where food production requires people who are physically strong. 79% of older people taking care of HIV/AIDS patients or orphans were found to have limited or no information about HIV/AIDS. 31% were dependent on relatives for support, while 69% sustained themselves through piece work, small business or farming.

Conclusion

Elderly people need more resources and assistance to enable them to fulfil their vital role in caring for HIV-AIDS orphans. They are also in critical need of more information about HIV-AIDS, as many are sexually active with multiple partners, and preventive information is currently not reaching this important section of the community.     

医务人员使用糖尿病足智能APP的意愿调查及影响因素分析

目的 分析医务人员使用糖尿病足智能APP的意愿及其影响因素。方法 采取便利抽样法,于2021年10月采用自制问卷对全国16个省45家医院的193例医务人员进行糖尿病足智能APP的使用意愿问卷调查。结果 159例（82.4%）医务人员愿意在临床工作中使用智能APP。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示：年龄大[■=0.488(95%CI:0.275,0.866)]、女性[■=2.509(95%CI:1.116,5.645)]、科室不鼓励使用APP[■=1.968(95%CI:1.214,3.189)]是医务人员使用APP意愿低的因素（P <0.05）。医务人员不愿意使用APP的前4个因素为界面不够友好、需要连接网络、操作复杂、测量真实性不佳。结论 医务人员对糖尿病足智能APP的使用意愿较高,希望将来进一步优化和完善系统,使其更加简单、便捷、易操作。     

Review of systems for recognising and responding to clinical deterioration in Singapore hospitals: a nationwide cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTIONThe Rapid Response System for recognising and responding to clinically deteriorating patients has been progressively implemented in acute care hospitals across the globe. This study sought to review the implementation of this system in acute public hospitals in Singapore.METHODSA cross-sectional study using a face-to-face survey questionnaire was conducted.RESULTSFive out of seven invited hospitals completed the questionnaire and rated the Rapid Response System as either high priority or essential, and indicated its importance over other patient safety indicators. Sensitivity and specificity of the triggering criteria and non-adherence to the escalation protocol were highlighted issues. Only two hospitals had a dedicated response team for providing emergency help to deteriorating ward patients. Limited manpower resources, unclear roles between the primary and response teams, and the potential deskilling of ward staff were reported barriers that inhibited the uptake of a response team. All hospitals had a committee that oversaw its system operation, provided training to ward staff, and used information technology to support the implementation.CONCLUSIONA variety of approaches have been taken to support the system of recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. This calls for a national approach to enable the standardisation of clinical processes, sharing of educational resources and multi-site evaluation.     

The effect of an electronic health record system on nursing staff time in a nursing home: a longitudinal cohort study

Background

Nursing homes are increasingly introducing electronic health record (EHR) systems into nursing practice; however, there is limited evidence about the effect of these systems on nursing staff time.

Aims

To investigate the effect of introducing an EHR system on time spent on activities by nursing staff in a nursing home.

Method

An observational work sampling study was undertaken with nursing staff between 2009 and 2011 at two months before, and at 3, 6, 12, and 23 months after implementation of an EHR system at an Australian nursing home. An observer used pre-determined tasks to record activities of the nursing staff at nine-minute intervals.

Results

There was no significant change in registered nurses and endorsed enrolled nurses’ time on most activities after implementation. Personal carers’ time on oral-communication reduced, and time on documentation increased at most measurement periods in the first 12 months after implementation. At 23 months, time on these activities had returned to pre-implementation levels. Nursing staff time on direct care remained stable after implementation. No considerable change was observed in time spent on other activities after implementation.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that successful introduction of an EHR system in a nursing home may not interfere with nursing staff time on direct care duties. However, there is scope for improving the support provided by EHR systems through incorporation of functions to support collaborative nursing care.     

Prevalence of HIV,HepBsAg and Hep C antibodies among inmates in Chichiri prison,Blantyre, Malawi

Objective

To determine HIV, HepatitisBsAg and Hepatitis C antibodies including knowledge, attitudes, practices and risk factors that may facilitate the spread of HIV among inmates at Chichiri Prison, Blantyre, Malawi.

Design

This was a cross sectional study. Informed consent was sought from each of the participants before interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect socio-demographic data. Blood specimens were collected for HIV and hepatitis B and C serology.

Setting

Chichiri Prison in Blantyre which is one of the largest prison facilities in Malawi. Adult males and female inmates participated while juveniles were excluded.

Results

A total of 164 prison inmates comprising 142 males (86.6%) and 22 females (13.4%) participated in the study. The age range was 18–65 years with mean age at 28.6 years. Overall HIV prevalence rate was 36.6%; among male inmates it was 29.9%, and among the 22 female inmates tested, 11(50%) were reactive. Five males (3.5%) tested positive for HepBsAg with one of them dually infected with HIV. All participants were hepatitis C negative. 141 (86%) inmates acknowledged that they knew that man to man sex occured in the prison, 55(33.5%) believed that mosquito bites could spread HIV; 33(20.1%) said that sex was the only way HIV could be spread, 8(4.9%) thought that HIV/AIDS could be spread through food sharing. 20 (12.2%) believed that HIV couldn''t be spread from mother to child and 135 (82.3%) acknowledged that tattooing was practiced among the inmates. 130(79.3%) acknowledged knowledge of use of cannabis in prison; 3 (2.1%) male inmates actually accepted being homosexuals. None of the inmates reported knowledge of use of injectable drugs within the prison.

Conclusions

HIV prevalence rate (36.6 %) at the Chichiri Prison is higher than the national average of 14%, while female infection rates were higher than males. There are gaps in the inmates'' knowledge of the epidemiology of HIV which need to be bridged through awareness programmes. Homosexuality and injecting drug use may not be a major factor in HIV transmission within prisons in Malawi. The low prevalence of Hepatitis BsAg (3.5%) and the inability to detect Hepatitis C antibodies deserve further study.     

The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis among miners from the Karonga,Rumphi, Kasungu and Lilongwe Districts of Malawi in 2019

IntroductionMiners in sub-Saharan Africa have a greater risk of tuberculosis (TB) than any other working population in the world. In spite of the presence of large and vulnerable population of miners in Malawi, no previous study has aimed to assess the burden of TB among these miners. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and health-seeking behaviour (HSB) in a population of miners in Malawi, and a range of associated factors. Our goal was to develop a method to identify missing cases of TB.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in the Karonga, Rumphi, Kasungu and Lilongwe districts of Malawi in 2019. We calculated frequencies, proportions, odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and used the chi-square test in STATA version15.1 to investigate the burden and magnitude of PTB in the mining sector. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were also fitted for PTB and HSB.ResultsOf the 2400 miners approached, we were able to interview 2013 (84%). Of these, 1435 (71%) were males, 1438 (71%) had known HIV status and 272 (14%) had PTB. Multivariate analysis showed that the miners performing informal mining were 50% more likely to develop PTB compared with those in formal mining (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.50, 95% CI: 1.10–2.05, P=0.01). A total of 459 (23% of 2013) miners had presumptive TB. Of these, 120 (26%) sought health care; 80% sought health care at health facilities. Multivariate analysis also showed that miners who experienced night sweats were less likely to seek health care compared with those without night sweats (AOR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.30–0.90, P=0.02).ConclusionThe prevalence of PTB was higher among miners than in the general population. Consequently, targeted TB screening programmes for miners may represent a suitable strategy to adopt if we are to end TB by 2030. Poor health-seeking behaviours among miners is worrisome and further qualitative research is necessary to understand the barriers to accessing health care in these settings.     

全麻术后患者转运安全现状与临床工作人员运动性疲劳的关系

目的 调查全麻术后患者转运安全性现状,探讨其与临床工作人员运动性疲劳的相关性。方法 采用便利抽样法,选取2022年8～10月上海交通大学医学院附属瑞金医院403例全麻术后患者,按照患者转运安全性的评判标准,分为风险组（转运存在风险,n=46）和安全组（转运安全,n=357）;按照患者转运后引流管滑脱情况,分为滑脱组（n=38）和未滑脱组（n=365）。记录患者一般资料与搬运时间,观察转运前后生命体征、氧饱度和疼痛变化,分析转运安全性的影响因素;选择参与上述403例患者转运的工作人员（1 209名临床工作人员）,采用主观疲劳量表进行测评,分析其与转运安全性的相关性。结果 全麻术后患者搬运时间为（53.98±6.67）s,临床工作人员运动性疲劳总体得分为（13.12±2.60）分;二元logistic回归分析显示：性别、手术部位、搬运时间与疼痛变化幅度是全麻术后患者转运发生风险的重要影响因素。临床工作人员在风险组患者的运动性疲劳得分高于安全组,在滑脱组患者的运动性疲劳得分高于未滑脱组。Spearman相关性分析显示：患者转运前后心率与收缩压变化幅度与临床工作人员的运动性疲劳均呈正相关（P ...