Perceptions and experiences of health care workers on the use of electronic medical records at two health centres in Livingstone, Zambia

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM)Health information systems (HIS) have much to offer in managing healthcare costs and in improving the quality of care for patients. However, the adoption of HIS can cause problems to health professionals in terms of efficiency as well as to the entire health organization in terms of acceptability and adaptability. The development of a national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy in Zambia was initiated in 2001 through an extensive consultation process which involved academics and civil society organizations. The aim of using ICT is to improve the quality of health service delivery at local levels. Maramba and Mahatma Gandhi Clinics are the largest primary health care (PHC) clinics in Livingstone and have been prioritized for the implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) system. The current study explored health care workers' perceptions and experiences of the use of ICTbased EMR and factors that could determine acceptability of EMR at Maramba and Mahatma Gandhi clinics to feed into future program improvement

A qualitative study of barriers to adherence to antiretroviral treatment among patients in Livingstone, Zambia

Magister Public Health - MPHIntroduction: Zambia is among the countries in the sub-Saharan African region most severely affected with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 1.2 million (14%) Zambians were living with HIV in 2010. Zambia introduced antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the public sector in 2002, starting with two pilot sites, and rolling it out throughout the country in 2004 and 2005. To date,approximately 350,000 people have accessed HIV treatment. The long-term success of ART programs depends on optimal adherence to ART by patients.In 2010 Livingstone General Hospital (LGH), the setting for the current research had over 7,000 enrolled for HIV care of whom 3,880 patients were on ART. By the end of June 2011, it was reported that 343 patients in this hospital were between 2 to 30 days late for their medication refill appointments. This meant that these patients had missed more than one dose, and thus not meeting the required 95% of medication for viral suppression. This study explored the barriers to medication adherence experienced by ART patients at Livingstone General Hospital (LGH). Methodology: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted. Six focus group discussions(FGD) were conducted with 42 patients on ART, and follow up semi-structured interviews with 7 patients identified during the FGDs. FGDs and semi-structured interviews were audio-tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic and content analysis of transcribed data was done. Results: The study found that the barriers to ART adherence included socio-economic factors such as poverty, use of traditional complementary and alternative medicines (TCAM) and religious beliefs. Patient related factors reported to negatively affect adherence were HIV related-stigma and discrimination, alcohol use, low literacy and education levels, busy daily schedules and forgetfulness. Regimen related factors included experiencing side effects to medication and complexity of treatment regimen. Negative staff attitudes, traveling long distances to health facility, long waiting times, lack of confidentiality, poor health information and poor patient-health provider relationships were the health system factors that negatively impacted on ART adherence. Conclusion: The combination and complexity of factors affecting adherence identified in this study have posed a challenge to adherence to ART. People have been forced to make adjustments to their routine lives in order to accommodate ART. The most problematic factor identified was the use of TCAM in combination with ART or as replacement of ART

Social and economic barriers to adherence among patients at Livingstone General Hospital in Zambia

Zambia is one of the countries hardest hit by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic with a national HIV prevalence estimated at 14% among those aged 15–49 years in 2012. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been available in public health facilities in Zambia since 2003. By early 2016, 65% of the 1.2 million Zambians living with HIV were accessing ART. While access to ART has improved the lives of people living with HIV globally, the lack of adherence to ART is a major challenge to treatment success globally.This article reports on social and economic barriers to ART adherence among HIV patients being attended to at Livingstone General Hospital in Zambia