Purpose – Evidences have shown that participation in a cardiac rehabilitation programme improves outcomes and quality of life for cardiac patients. Hospital Serdang has conducted this programme since 2007 and it is the first to be run by the Rehabilitation Medicine Department. The purpose of this survey is to find out whether the programme is suitable, informative and useful from the patient’s perspective as well as to determine whether the 6 weeks duration is sufficient.
Design/ methodology/approach - A patient feedback survey using a self-administered questionnaire on the programme was conducted from January 2008 to December 2010 in Hospital Serdang.
Findings - A total of 323 patients were invited to join the programme but only 182 completed the programme and took part in this survey. 30% of the patients thought that the six weeks programme was not enough for them. 100% of the respondents agreed that the programme was beneficial, well suited to their problems and were willing to promote the programme to their friends. Therefore, it is recommended that this programme be extended to the community level.
Conclusion - In conclusion, this programme is beneficial, suitable, informative and adequate from the patient’s point of view. Extension of this programme into the community as a continuation of the hospital-based programme is likely to improve the outcome further.
Contact time was defined as the time spent by health personnel with a patient. The study was conducted for four months in 2007 to assess the contact time and to determine the appropriate contact time as perceived by patients attending clinics of various clinical disciplines as well as Out-Patient Departments and Emergency Departments at Ministry of Health Hospitals. This study was a cross-sectional study carried out on out-patients who came to the hospitals’ clinics for treatment. Information was gathered through self-administered questionnaires, distributed at twenty-one hospitals. The respondents were selected using stratified random sampling method. Out of 21,750 questionnaires distributed, 13,463 patients responded, a response rate of 61.9%. This study shows that the average contact time increases from small hospitals (8 minutes) to bigger hospitals (15 minutes). The contact time also varies between the clinics of various disciplines. Obstetrics and Gynecology (O&G) clinics and Pediatric clinics had the longest average contact time of 20 minutes and 15 minutes respectively. The percentage of patients who were satisfied with the contact time corresponded with the type of clinics and hospitals which had the longest contact time. Thus, it is suggested that clinics and hospitals, whenever possible try their best to follow the duration of contact time as perceived appropriate by the patients.
Study site: Out-Patient Departments and Emergency Departments at Ministry of Health Hospitals (21)
The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of counter service at the Ministry of Health hospitals as perceived by patients. This was a cross sectional study using selfadrninistered questionnaires distributed to patients at the outpatient departments in all Ministry of Health Hospitals. By the end ofthe data collection period, 118 of 121 hospitals (total number of MOH Hospitals) participated with 93.2% response rate., The hospitals were divided into four categories, for the purpose of this study 1000 sample size were needed in each category, the number of sample size were obtained using Epi Info Program based on assumption that 30% Of patients were dissatisyded with the services provided and with a precision of 10%. In this study the quality were based on clarity and provision of services based on Client Charten deliverance of clear infomation by the healthcare personnel, priority treatment given to urgency of the cases, cleanliness of the facilities and teamwork among the staff This study revealed about 64% of patients perceived that the hospitals had provided quality services at the counter: Only about 11% of patients were not happy with the quality of the services given at the counter. The proportion of happy patients increased from the smaller to the bigger hospitals. In terms of delivering services according to the Client Charter; only about 15% said that service was not provided by the counter staff according to the Client’s Charter On the aspect of priority on the urgent cases, about 64% of the patients perceived that urgent cases were not seen immediately. About 64% of the respondents felt that the hospitah do provide quality services. Strategies should focus on the bigger hospitals because non conformance to quality occurs more frequently there. The post of Counter Supervisor should be created to ensure that quality services are delivered.
Study site: outpatient departments in all Ministry of Health Hospitals
A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the perception of Hospital Directors in performing clinical duties. This was done through a postal survey which was conducted covering all public hospitals in Malaysia. The majority of Hospital Directors had read the circular at the time of the study and agreed to do clinical work besides managerial duties. Before the issuance of the directive, the majority of those directors were already doing some clinical work. However they disagreed that by doing clinical work they could help overcome the problem of shortage of doctors. They agreed that the duration of 10 hours per week is suitable to do clinical duties. In term of confidence in giving curative treatment, the Hospital Directors especially those from district hospitals without specialists were confident in giving curative care to individuals. As for the clinicians, the majority felt that the implementation of the directive for Hospital Directors to do clinical work will not disrupt the clinicians' routine duties.
Study site: University Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder with many vascular complications, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Malaysia has risen dramatically from 6.3% (NHMS 1 in 1986); to 8.3% (NHMS 2 in 1996); and to 14.9% (NHMS 3 in 2006). An audit was conducted on patient's medical records from selected MOH health facilities to assess the control of diabetes using HbA1c. The response rate was 69.6% and the control of diabetes was poor. Only 18.4% of patients with valid HbA1c had value less than 6.5%. This is notably worst amongst patients from younger age groups. Many recommended investigations such as fundoscopy and urine microalbumin had not been done regularly. Efforts to look for various vascular complications were under-reported. About 45% of patients had been treated with 2 oral antidiabetic agents; mainly the sulphonylureas and the biguanides. Only 13.3% of patients were on insulin despite having poorly controlled disease. There is an urgent need to improve the management of diabetes mellitus in these areas:- (i) improving the glycemic control status (particularly among younger diabetic patients) with early and optimal use of oral diabetic drugs and insulin; (ii) stringent monitoring of glycemic control with adequate funds for regular performance of HbA1c (at least every 6 monthly for all diabetic patients) (iii) organizing regular updates or interactive programme for diabetes healthcare providers from primary, secondary and tertiary care; (iv) ensuring regular and prompt review of diabetic complications so that the complications can be dealt with early; (v) producing more diabetes educators to strengthen and standardize the diabetes education programme; and promote patients adherence to non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions.
Tujuan menjalankan kajian ini adalah untuk mengetahui tahap kekerapan penyelidikan yang berkaitan dengan kesihatan mental yang dijalankan di fasiliti Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia. Sebanyak 258 fasiliti Kementerian Kesihatan yang terlibat dalam kajian ini meliputi Hospital Mental, Hospital dengan perkhidmatan Pakar Psikiatri, Hospital tanpa perkhidmatan Pakar Psikiatri dan Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah. Borang kajiselidik telah dihantar melalui pos kepada Pengarah Hospital dan Pegawai Kesihatan Daerah dengan kadar maklumbalas 70.2%. Hasil kajian mendapati hanya 23(13.1%) fasiliti sahaja yang menjalankan kajian mengenai kesihatan mental. Sebanyak 37 kajian berkaitan kesihatan mental telah dijalankan bagi tahun 2003-2004. Penyebab utama penyelidikan kurang dijalankan disebabkan oieh peruntukan yang tidak mencukupi dan tiada kepakaran untuk menjalankan penyelidikan yang berkaitan dengan kesihatan mental. Antara penyebab lain adalah kekurangan anggota, NGO tidak berminat dan tiada latihan. Kesimpulannya menunjukkan tahap penyelidikan kesihatan mental di fasiliti Kementerian Kesihatan masih rendah.