In-patients' satisfaction with healthcare in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background: Patients' satisfaction is an increasingly common and important component of a comprehensive assessment of quality of care.Objective: This study was designed to determine inpatients' satisfaction with healthcare in a Nigerian tertiary health institution.Methods: Patients were majorly selected from the wards while a few were selected from the out-patients clinic during their follow-up period through a purposive sampling technique into this cross-sectional survey of a tertiary health institution in Nigeria. The instrument used was a selfdeveloped, patient-administered questionnaire on inpatients' satisfaction with healthcare. Data wereanalyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, means, percentages, pie charts.Results: The participants (61 males and 59 females) had a mean total satisfaction score of 58.2% ± 12.1% and sixtysix (55.0%) participants reported good level of satisfaction. Participants within the age range 18-27 reported the highest mean satisfaction score of 47.8%±13.0%. Participants' mean satisfaction scores on healthcare provided by the health workers were 69.4% ±21.9% for health records staff, 78.5%±14.5% for hospital ward staff, 70.6%±13.6% for doctors, 68.5%±12.4% for nurses and 70.5%±15.1% for physiotherapists. The specific aspect ofservice where participants had the highest mean satisfaction score was electricity (72.9% ±21.2%) while the least mean satisfaction score was on ease of payment (42.5%±28.6%).Conclusion: Level of in-patients' satisfaction with healthcare at this Nigerian tertiary health institution appears good.Keywords: Patient-centred outcome, satisfaction, health institutio

Pattern of Osteoarthritis Seen In Physiotherapy Facilities in Ibadan and Lagos, Nigeria

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability in the elderly. Studies on its prevalence and pattern in Nigeria are few. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the pattern of OA seen in 10 physiotherapy facilities in Ibadan and Lagos. The University of Ibadan/University College Hospital Ethical Review Committee approved the study. Information on age, gender, joint affectation, impairments, disabilities and co-morbidities were recorded from the hospital files of patients with OA in each hospital. The proportion of all new patients accounted for by OA during the 3 year study period was computed. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.The patients with OA, aged 56.8+ 12.6 years accounted for 8.9% of all (11574) new patients seen in the clinics during the study period. The female to male ratio was 3.5:1. The knee was the most frequently affected joint. Common impairments were pain (100%), reduced range of motion (75%), crepitus (64%) and joint swelling (30%). Common functional limitations were difficulty in walking long distances (42%), squatting (22.5%), standing up from sitting (18%) and climbing stairs (9%). Low back pain (10.4%) and obesity (8.6%) were the two most commonly documented comorbid conditions. It was concluded that OA is a common condition seen in the Physiotherapy facilities in Lagos and Ibadan, accounting for about 9% of new patients; it is more common in females than males (3.5:1) and the knee joint is the most frequently affected