Teamwork Among ICU Physicians and Nurses in Phnom Penh: A Mixed Methods Investigation

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2019A better understanding of the inter-professional relationships that shape high quality care delivery in the ICU is fundamental to improve communication and optimization of a healthcare team1,3,7,12. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of nurses and physicians regarding teamwork and communication in the ICU setting of two hospitals in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Utilizing a descriptive qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted and a quantitative questionnaire was given to twenty-eight staff. Emerging categories: the current perspective of communication and teamwork, characteristics of and factors that enhance or impede communication, and teamwork goals/integration of effective training modalities. Inductive and deductive coding and constant comparative analysis resulted in seven major themes. Key findings include: perception of the current state of teamwork and communication is poor, age is a major factor influencing norms of communication, and desire to develop stronger communication and teamwork skills was high. This study will be a foundation to tailor a skills-based training targeted at improving communication and teamwork among physicians and nurses

Tuberculosis and other bacterial co-infection in Cambodia: a single center retrospective cross-sectional study

Background: Cambodia, a lower middle-income country of about 16 million individuals in southeast Asia, endures a high burden of both tuberculosis and other lower respiratory infections. Differentiating tuberculosis from other causes of respiratory infection has important clinical implications yet may be challenging to accomplish in the absence of diagnostic microbiology facilities. Furthermore, co-infection of tuberculosis with other bacterial lower respiratory infections may occur. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and etiologies of tuberculosis and other bacterial co-infection and to analyze the clinical and radiographic characteristics of patients presenting with respiratory infection to a provincial referral hospital in Cambodia. Methods: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of laboratory and clinical data, on patients presenting with respiratory symptoms to a chest clinic of a 260-bed provincial referral hospital in Cambodia. We analyzed mycobacterial and bacterial sputum test results, and demographics, medical history and chest radiography