Impact of Health Care Provider’s Training on Patients’ Communication During Labor at Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan 2011

Background: Comprehensive patient’s health care provider’s (HCP) communication usually increases patients’ participation in their health management on childbirth.Objective: This is a quasi interventional study for assessing impact of health care providers (HCP) training on patient- provider’s communication during childbirth in the labour ward at Omdurman Maternity Hospital during 2011.Material and Methods: A situation analysis was done before training to assess existing practice of providers’ communication skills and patient’s satisfaction. All care providers in labour ward were trained and their practice was assessed before and after training. A ten percent sample of patients delivered in hospital before and after training was used to assess providers’ practice. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 18.Results: Health care providers, included were 225 (120/ 105) and interviewed women were, 4469 (2000/ 2469) before and after training respectively. Before training, patients were informed on onset of labour (76.8%), requested investigations (54.9%), permission for vaginal examination (60.3%) and when given antibiotics (85.1%), which improved significantly after training. No improvement in information on adverse effect of drugs and procedures or taking of an informed consent. Patient’s opinion on health care providers’ behavior after delivery in labour ward, were supportive, friendly and respectful (89.7%) and (94.6%) with improved satisfaction (89.8%) and (95.7%) before and after training respectively.Conclusion: The study showed that training of health care providers on communication skills has effective improvement on HCP knowledge and practice towards communication with patients in many areas during labour with resulting good patient’s satisfaction. However, improvement in communication skills need sustained in-service training.Key words: patients- providers’ communication, satisfaction, Sudan

Performance and radiation patterns of aesthetic and asymmetric logo-based patch antennas

This article was published in the Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications [© Taylor & Francis] and the definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09205071.2014.893844This paper investigates microstrip patch antennas designed using aesthetic and asymmetrical logo-based shapes. A range of shapes have been considered and analyzed using electromagnetic simulations and measurements. Particular attention has been given to the radiation patterns of these asymmetric antennas

Female Audit Partners and Extended Audit Reporting: UK Evidence

This study investigates whether audit partner gender is associated with the extent of auditor disclosure and the communication style regarding risks of material misstatements that are classified as key audit matters (KAMs). Using a sample of UK firms during the 2013–2017 period, our results suggest that female audit partners are more likely than male audit partners to disclose more KAMs with more details after controlling for both client and audit firm attributes. Furthermore, female audit partners are found to use a less optimistic tone and provide less readable audit reports, compared to their male counterparts, suggesting that behavioural variances between female and male audit partners may have significant implications on their writing style. Therefore, this study offers new insights on the role of audit partner gender in extended audit reporting. Our findings have important implications for audit firms, investors, policymakers and governments in relation to the development, implementation and enforcement of gender diversity

Real earnings management and ESG disclosure in emerging markets: The moderating effect of managerial ownership from a social norm perspective

Drawing on social norm theory, this study delves into the nexus between real earnings manipulation (REM) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure within Egypt's emerging capital market. By analyzing data from the S&P/EGX ESG index (2013–2018) through a two-stage regression analysis, we unearth a noteworthy pattern: heightened REM practices correspond with reduced tendencies for ESG sustainability disclosure. Notably, this association is moderated by managerial ownership, which diminishes the negative linkage between REM and ESG transparency. A unique cultural insight emerges, revealing that religiously-aligned firms leverage REM as a risk-mitigation mechanism, leading to curtailed ESG disclosures. Our findings cast a spotlight on a possible managerial tilt towards short-term gains, often overshadowing long-term sustainability imperatives, especially in religiously influenced contexts. As we advance understanding of REM-ESG dynamics in religious emerging markets, our study highlights the pressing need for enhanced sustainability consciousness and accountability in these regions