The Impact of Motivation on the Work Performance of Health Workers (Korle Bu Teaching Hospital): Evidence from Ghana

Background: Motivation is a driver to health worker performance in most Ghanaian hospitals. In view of this, Ghana’s Ministry of Health has rolled out enough motivational policies to accentuate work performance of health workers. Objective: The focus of this study was to examine the impact of motivation and identify how intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors affect the work performance of health workers at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).  Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted for the study, and purposive sampling was used to select fifteen (15) health workers including both medics and paramedics. An in-depth interview guide and one-on-one interviews were adopted to collect data from the staff at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. A thematic content analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data. Results: Key findings from the study revealed that job satisfaction, logistic provision, and an enabling work environment are intrinsic motivating factors that affect the work performance of health workers; extrinsic factors such as financial reward, accommodation, and transportation also impact work performance. Furthermore, motivation is key to the work performance of nurses. Conclusion: It is recommended that the National Midwifery and Nursing Council (NMC) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) adopt motivational policies based on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational blocks

Using Ergometer and Timing Activities in Determining the Manpower Required in Chosen Units of Laboratory in the Shiraz Faghihi Hospital

Background: The quantity and quality of manpower, especially in health systems, are major factors affecting speed of service delivery, cost, and accuracy, or, in other words, the quality of service. Objective: This study purposed to investigate the manpower required in various units of the laboratory at Shiraz Faghihi Hospital. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical research conducted on all testing processes in the fields of parasitology, hormone biology, microbiology, and urinalysis performed at the studied hospital. The Westinghouse ergometer and timing method was used to estimate manpower requirements, and SPSS18 software was used to analyze data. Results: The average standard time of every duty cycle in parasitology units, hormone biology, microbiology, and urinalysis are 12, 5, 9, and 5 minutes, respectively. The numbers of human resources required in said units were estimated to be 2.6, 3, 4, and 3.7 respectively. In parasitology unit there is lack of 1 manpower. In hormone unit there are two manpower surpluses. In biology unit there is one manpower surplus and urinalysis unit is estimated to be proportional to the number of troops. Conclusion: It is suggested that new, scientific tools be used to evaluate the status of department staff and make improvements to avoid the high costs and difficulties that manpower shortages and surpluses cause for the organization

Predictors of Patient Satisfaction With Quality of Healthcare in University Hospitals in Ghana

Background: For over 2 decades, Ghana’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has been resolved to continuously improve the quality of healthcare in a cost-effective manner. Strategies have been adopted to enhance client satisfaction with healthcare services and delivery.Objective: The current study examined patient satisfaction with the quality of healthcare in Ghana by comparing healthcare services at the University of Ghana Hospital (UGH) and the University of Cape Coast Hospital (UCH).Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014-2015 with primary data collected from patients at UGH and UCH. Structured questionnaires were administered based on the stratified and convenience sampling methods to select patients receiving healthcare at the outpatients departments of the 2 hospitals. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data with the help of SPSS version 20.Results: The findings indicated that empathy (β=0.14, P=0.003), communication (β=0.26, P=0.00), culture (β=0.17, P=0.008), tangibles (β=0.12, P=0.040), and priority (β=0.18, P=0.002) are significant predictors of patient satisfaction.Conclusion: Management at the 2 studied hospitals should streamline their quality healthcare policies based on the dimensions of effective communication, empathy, culture, tangibles, and priority to enhance patient satisfaction

Analysis of socioeconomic differences in the quality of antenatal services in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The desired results of increasing access and availability of antenatal care (ANC) services may not be realized if the quality of care offered is not adequate. We analyzed the content/quality of antenatal care to determine whether there are socioeconomic (education and wealth) inequalities in the services provided in 59 low and middle income countries in six WHO regions-Africa, East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and South Asia. We aggregated the most recent (2005-2015) Demographic and Health Survey for each country. The quality of content was measured on eight recommended ANC services-(1) monitoring of blood pressure; (2) tetanus injection; (3) urine analysis for protein; (4) blood test; (5) information about danger signs (6); weight (7); height measurements and (8) provision of iron-folate supplement. Descriptive and Poisson regression techniques were applied to analyse the data. We found considerable wealth and educational differences prior to controlling for known covariates. Between wealth and education, however, the disparities in the latter are larger than the former. Whereas the socioeconomic differences remained at post adjusting for residence, place and number of antenatal care, parity and region, the magnitude of change was minimal. Higher number of ANC content was provided in "other" forms of private facilities; the Latin America and Caribbean region recorded the highest number of content compared to the other regions. The hypothesized socioeconomic status on content/number of ANC services was generally supported, although the associations are substantially constrained to other variables. Efforts are made to increase the number and timing of ANC services; due recognition is needed for the content offered

Correction: Analysis of socioeconomic differences in the quality of antenatal services in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192513.]

Poisson regression results on the number of ANC services provided in 59 LMICs in periods 2005–2006 and 2014–2015.

<p>Poisson regression results on the number of ANC services provided in 59 LMICs in periods 2005–2006 and 2014–2015.</p

Mean number of antenatal care services by wealth and regions.

<p>Mean number of antenatal care services by wealth and regions.</p

Mean number of antenatal care services by regions.

<p>Mean number of antenatal care services by regions.</p

Mean number of antenatal services by education in the six regions.

<p>Mean number of antenatal services by education in the six regions.</p

Education and wealth margins plot from multivariate analysis.

<p>Education and wealth margins plot from multivariate analysis.</p