Kasaw Adane | Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology (original) (raw)

Papers by Kasaw Adane

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, Apr 1, 2019

Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of c... more Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of confidential health care data. However, health care professionals overlooked their important tasks of medical data processing. Hence, using high-quality electronic health record (EHR) applications in health care is important to minimize medical errors. Therefore, this review tries to indicate the roles of EHR in advancing quality health care service provisions. Methods: The keywords identified were EHR, EMR, medical data processing, medical data retention, medical data destruction, health care, and patient care, and a few related terms with different combinations. PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Google Scholar, and Google search engine were used to search for articles from those databases. Searching was done using boolean words "AND", "OR", and "NOT" using all [All fields] and [MeSH Terms] searching strategies. Results: Articles were screened using the title, checked by their abstract, and the remaining related full-text materials were included or excluded by two individuals deciding its eligibility. Finally, 73 materials issued from 2013-2018 were used for qualitatively synthesizing and reconciling the idea to produce this review article. Conclusion: Poor medical data processing systems are the key reasons for medical errors. Employing standardized data management systems reduce errors and associated sufferings. Therefore, using electronic tools in the health care institution ensures safe and efficient data management. Therefore, it is important to establish appropriate medical data management systems for efficient health care delivery.

Additional file 2: Figure S1. The overall burden of intestinal parasites in terms of their freque... more Additional file 2: Figure S1. The overall burden of intestinal parasites in terms of their frequency per individual among patients at Shahura Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants among patien... more Additional file 1: Table S1. Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants among patients at Shahura Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018.

Additional file 1. English version questionnaire.

Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018

Background Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they ca... more Background Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they can generate hazardous biomedical wastes to a human being or the environment. Generation and disposal of biomedical wastes have become an emerging problem worldwide. Objective To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice about biomedical waste management and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Debre Markos town healthcare facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was employed, and data were collected through structured self-administered questionnaire and observational checklist. Data were entered into the Epi-data 3.1 software and exported into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed. Variables with a P value of <0.05 in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were considered to explain the presence of statistically significant associations. Result Among 296 healthcare professionals s...

Clinical laboratory, 2020

BACKGROUND The aim was to produce quality results that clinical laboratories need to implement an... more BACKGROUND The aim was to produce quality results that clinical laboratories need to implement and maintain continuous quality improvement systems. In recent years, health organizations have increasingly prioritized the quality of laboratory services by implementing quality management systems (QMSs) and building quality improvement activities. Efforts to strengthen laboratory systems in the African region have received increased attention in recent years. Assessing the implementation levels of laboratory quality management system components is important to identify the gaps that need further improvements. METHODS A cross-sectional study design was used between March and May 2017 in selected government hospitals of Ethiopia, and sample size was determined using a finite population formula, and a proportional sampling technique was employed; a sample size of 184 (62%) was calculated from 295 laboratory professionals. RESULTS All respondents were informed about the laboratory's exp...

Background: Hepatitis B Virus is one of the major causes of global public health problems. Diagno... more Background: Hepatitis B Virus is one of the major causes of global public health problems. Diagnosis of HBV is done by using ELISA and immune-chromatographic assays for detecting different serologic markers. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is the most frequently used serological marker employed to diagnosis HBV using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods. The RDT method is the most commonly used diagnostic tool in Ethiopia as well as in most African countries. Therefore assessing and knowing the diagnostic performance of the RDT is important. Method: A prospective cross sectional study was done at University of Gondar comprehensive specialized Hospital from Feb, 2017- May, 2017. Ethical clearance was obtained from School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Permission was obtained from Blood Bank office to use blood sample collected from voluntary blood donors. HBsAg was diagnosed using RDT and ELISA methods...

Objective A patient with health problems seek healthcare services from healthcare professionals. ... more Objective A patient with health problems seek healthcare services from healthcare professionals. Their patientprovider relationships are usually affected by roles, gifts, services, and physical contact. The major ethical healthcare practices focus on respecting patient's freedom and basic human rights. However, there are only limited references materials issued on medical ethics and ethical medical practices. Hence, this review article tries to describe the important aspects of ethical practices in healthcare delivery. Methods Initially, idea conceptualization, planning and keyword defining were for the development of this material. The keywords were medical ethics, code of ethics, bioethics, ethical practice, quality service and healthcare ethics. Result Then, two authors independently assessed published materials using EndNote® program from PubMed (NML) and Google Scholar databases. Finally, from a total of 721 full-text articles downloaded, 34 published article meeting inclusion criteria were included in this article. Conclusion Adherence to high ethical and moral standards, responding to societal needs and reflection social

BMC Research Notes, 2019

Objective: Medical waste is a total waste stream which is generated from the healthcare facilitie... more Objective: Medical waste is a total waste stream which is generated from the healthcare facilities during the healthcare delivery process. It can contain potentially hazardous substances for the human being and the environment. Waste handlers play a significant role for its proper management and they need to have adequate knowledge, attitude, and practices. The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of waste handlers regarding medical waste management in Debre Markos town healthcare facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Results: A total of 55 medical waste handlers were studied from 12 healthcare facilities. Among this, 25 (45.4%) were diploma and certificate holders. The majority (69.1%) of the study participants were not provided with proper training. There was a lack of personal protective devices and waste management equipment supply. Regarding knowledge, attitude, and practices, 25 (45.5%), 43 (78.2%), and 44 (80%) of the study participants had adequate knowledge, favorable attitude, and adequate practice scores, respectively. There was high (30.9%) prevalence of needlestick and sharps injuries. Healthcare facilities should provide periodic training and adequate supplies for the waste handlers. Further study should be conducted on a large scale by including different levels of health facilities and regions of the country.

Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 2015

Background: The rapid and continuous growth of health care cost aggravates the frequently low pri... more Background: The rapid and continuous growth of health care cost aggravates the frequently low priority and less attention given in financing laboratory services. The poorest countries have the highest out-of-pocket spending as a percentage of income. Higher charges might provide a greater potential for revenue. If fees raise quality sufficiently, it can enhance usage. Therefore, estimating the revenue generated from laboratory services could help in capacity building and improved quality service provision. Methods: Panel study design was used to determine revenue generated from clinical chemistry and hematology services at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Activity-Based Costing (ABC) model was used to determine the true cost of tests performed from October 2011 to December 2011 in the hospital. The principle of Activity-based Costing is that activities consume resources and activities consumed by services which incur the costs and hence service takes the cost of resources. All resources with costs are aggregated with the established casual relationships. The process maps designed was restructured in consultation with the senior staffs working and/or supervising the laboratory and pretested checklists were used for observation. Moreover, office documents, receipts and service bills were used while collecting data. The amount of revenue collected from services was compared with the cost of each subsequent test and the profitability or return on investment (ROI) of services was calculated. Data were collected, entered, cleaned, and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007 software program and Statistical Software Package for Social Sciences version 19 (SPSS). Paired sample t test was used to compare the price and cost of each test. P-value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Result: A total of 25,654 specimens were analyzed during 3 months of regular working hours. The total numbers of clinical chemistry and hematology tests performed during the study period were 45,959 (66.1 %) and 23,570 (33.9 %), respectively. Only 274, 386 (25.3 %) Ethiopian Birr (ETB) was recovered from the total cost of 1,086,008.09 ETB incurred on clinical chemistry and hematology laboratory tests. The result showed that, about 133,821 (12.32 %) ETB was revenue not collected from out-of-pocket payments that was paid for the services as a result of under pricing. The result showed that 18 out of 20 laboratory tests were under priced. The cost burden related to free Anti Retro-viral Therapy (ART) services was 285,979.82 (26.3 %) ETB. Conclusion: The cost per test estimated was significantly different to the existing price. About 90 % of the tests were under priced. This information could warn the hospital to reconsider resetting prices of these tests profitability ration less than 1. The revenue collected could help to build capacity, upscale quality, and sustainable service delivery.

Family Medicine & Medical Science Research, 2015

Introduction: Khat refers to the leaves and the young shoots of the plant Catha edulis Forsk, whi... more Introduction: Khat refers to the leaves and the young shoots of the plant Catha edulis Forsk, which belonging to the plant family Celastraceae. Khat is an evergreen shrub or tree found growing wild or cultivated in the east of a region extending from Southern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. The habit of khat chewing has prevailed for centuries in this part of the world. Objective: To summarize the potential adverse health effects of khat (Catha edulis). Methodology: We used 57 different published materials for the compilation of this review article. Google search engine was used for accessing published materials from databases like Google Scholar, PubMed and HINARI. Result: Khat induces disturbance of mood, hallucination, delusions and aggressive behavior. It may also cause elevation of arterial blood pressure and pulse rate with subsequent increase in cardiovascular risk. In addition, khat may be associated with increased risk of carcinoma of the mouth and oesophagitis, anorexia and constipation. It may also have a toxic effect on the liver and kidneys. Conclusion: Many literatures reported that Khat has potential adverse health effects on organs and systems of the body. It affects nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and others.

International Emergency Nursing, 2015

Interpersonal violence has devastating consequences for the mental, physical and sexual health of... more Interpersonal violence has devastating consequences for the mental, physical and sexual health of the victim. It is a leading cause of injury in east Africa. Studies in Ethiopia report that the most common cause of injury was interpersonal conflict. Our objective was to study the incidence of interpersonal violence related injury and associated factors among patients visiting the emergency department of University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional institutional based study design was employed from November 2013-June 2014. The source population was a cohort sample of all patients presenting for treatment of a traumatic injury. Data were collected using injury surveillance guidelines developed by the World Health Organization. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify the presence and strength of association. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the level of significance. The overall incidence of interpersonal violence related injury was 28.5% of all emergency department trauma patients. Multivariate logistic regression shows that conflict in the family prior to the event [AOR = 9.9 (95% CI: 4.433-9.536)], poor behavioral control [AOR = 2.5 (95% CI: 1.192-5.460)], alcohol use [AOR = 3.406 (95% CI: 1.813-6.398)] and paternal education [AOR = 2.441(95% CI: 1.209-4.929)] were found to be independently associated with interpersonal violence related injury. The incidence of interpersonal violence related injury was high. Counseling and education on conflict resolution methods should be given for the community using mass media.

Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 2018

Laboratory services have been described as the major processes contributing to safe patient care ... more Laboratory services have been described as the major processes contributing to safe patient care in the modern healthcare sector. However, occurrences of errors in the overall testing processes impair the clinical decision-making process. Such errors are supposed to be high in resource-poor countries, like Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess errors in the total testing process in the Clinical Chemistry laboratory of the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Hospital from February to March 2016. All the required data were collected using established quality indicators. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Frequencies and cross-tabulations were used to summarize descriptive statistics. A total of 3259 samples and corresponding laboratory request forms were received for analysis. The analysis of the overall distribution of errors revealed that 89.6% were pre-analytical errors, 2.6% were ...

BMC Research Notes, 2014

Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely c... more Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely controlled due to many reasons. The widespread uses of antibiotics, together with the length of time over which they have been available have led to major problems of resistant organisms contributing to morbidity and mortality. This study was aimed to assess bacterial isolates and their drug susceptibility patterns from patients with pus and/or wound discharge. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Gondar University Hospital from all individuals who provide pus and/or wound discharge sample from September, 2009 to August, 2012. Socio-demographic and laboratory results were collected from the University Hospital Microbiology Laboratory unit registration books by using a standard data collection format. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 628 study subjects were included in the study with bacterial isolation rate of 441 (70.2%). Of all, 344 (54.8%) were males. Two hundred eighty two (63.9%) of the isolates were gram positive and 159 (36.1%) were gram negative. About 331/ 441 (75.0%) of the total isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (32.9%), Coagulase Negative staphylococci (14.7%), Streptococcus spp. (11.6%), Escherichia coli (9.5%), Klebsiella spp. (6.3%). The result showed that 66.2% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, followed 59.8% for ampicillin, 59.1% for cotrimoxazole, 51.7% for penicillin; least resistant being 6.3% for gentamycin. Conclusion: High prevalence of bacterial isolates were found; S. aureus being the dominant. Most of the isolates were resistant to many of the antibiotics tested where all isolates of Pseudomonas spp. being resistant to two or more antibiotics. Antibiotic susceptibility test is necessary for effective control of wound infections.

Archives of Public Health, 2013

Background: Medical data recording is one of the basic clinical tools. Electronic Health Record (... more Background: Medical data recording is one of the basic clinical tools. Electronic Health Record (EHR) is important for data processing, communication, efficiency and effectiveness of patients' information access, confidentiality, ethical and/or legal issues. Clinical record promote and support communication among service providers and hence upscale quality of healthcare. Qualities of records are reflections of the quality of care patients offered. Methods: Qualitative analysis was undertaken for this systematic review. We reviewed 40 materials Published from 1999 to 2013. We searched these materials from databases including ovidMEDLINE and ovidEMBASE. Two reviewers independently screened materials on medical data recording, documentation and information processing and communication. Finally, all selected references were summarized, reconciled and compiled as one compatible document. Result: Patients were dying and/or getting much suffering as the result of poor quality medical records. Electronic health record minimizes errors, saves unnecessary time, and money wasted on processing medical data. Conclusion: Many countries have been complaining for incompleteness, inappropriateness and illegibility of records. Therefore creating awareness on the magnitude of the problem has paramount importance. Hence available correct patient information has lots of potential in reducing errors and support roles.

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 2019

Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of c... more Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of confidential health care data. However, health care professionals overlooked their important tasks of medical data processing. Hence, using high-quality electronic health record (EHR) applications in health care is important to minimize medical errors. Therefore, this review tries to indicate the roles of EHR in advancing quality health care service provisions. Methods: The keywords identified were EHR, EMR, medical data processing, medical data retention, medical data destruction, health care, and patient care, and a few related terms with different combinations. PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Google Scholar, and Google search engine were used to search for articles from those databases. Searching was done using boolean words "AND", "OR", and "NOT" using all [All fields] and [MeSH Terms] searching strategies. Results: Articles were screened using the title, checked by their abstract, and the remaining related full-text materials were included or excluded by two individuals deciding its eligibility. Finally, 73 materials issued from 2013-2018 were used for qualitatively synthesizing and reconciling the idea to produce this review article. Conclusion: Poor medical data processing systems are the key reasons for medical errors. Employing standardized data management systems reduce errors and associated sufferings. Therefore, using electronic tools in the health care institution ensures safe and efficient data management. Therefore, it is important to establish appropriate medical data management systems for efficient health care delivery.

Background Assessing quality by considering input, process and output level quality variables is ... more Background Assessing quality by considering input, process and output level quality variables is important to ensure improved quality services. Designing and execution of an effective quality management system are aimed for the purpose of quality improvement, error reduction and associated risks. Therefore, this review is designed to assess the value of accreditation on the performance of healthcare institutions in ensuring quality improvement interventions. Moreover, this review presents important concepts of accreditation and the aspects of quality. Methods Published articles were downloaded using EndNote® application software program from PubMed (NML) database, Web of Sciences (TS) and Google Scholar. From a total of 883 downloaded full-text published materials, only 28 journals and 1 report issued from 2010 to 2017 were used for the development of this review. Result The overall quality of healthcare services in developing countries was error-prone and suffered from limitations....

Journal of Environmental and Public Health

Background. Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they c... more Background. Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they can generate hazardous biomedical wastes to a human being or the environment. Generation and disposal of biomedical wastes have become an emerging problem worldwide. Objective. To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice about biomedical waste management and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Debre Markos town healthcare facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was employed, and data were collected through structured self-administered questionnaire and observational checklist. Data were entered into the Epi-data 3.1 software and exported into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed. Variables with a P value of <0.05 in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were considered to explain the presence of statistically significant associations. Result. Among 296 healthcare professiona...

BMC Research Notes, 2014

Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely c... more Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely controlled due to many reasons. The widespread uses of antibiotics, together with the length of time over which they have been available have led to major problems of resistant organisms contributing to morbidity and mortality. This study was aimed to assess bacterial isolates and their drug susceptibility patterns from patients with pus and/or wound discharge. . Socio-demographic and laboratory results were collected from the University Hospital Microbiology Laboratory unit registration books by using a standard data collection format. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 628 study subjects were included in the study with bacterial isolation rate of 441 (70.2%). Of all, 344 (54.8%) were males. Two hundred eighty two (63.9%) of the isolates were gram positive and 159 (36.1%) were gram negative. About 331/ 441 (75.0%) of the total isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (32.9%), Coagulase Negative staphylococci (14.7%), Streptococcus spp. (11.6%), Escherichia coli (9.5%), Klebsiella spp. (6.3%). The result showed that 66.2% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, followed 59.8% for ampicillin, 59.1% for cotrimoxazole, 51.7% for penicillin; least resistant being 6.3% for gentamycin. Conclusion: High prevalence of bacterial isolates were found; S. aureus being the dominant. Most of the isolates were resistant to many of the antibiotics tested where all isolates of Pseudomonas spp. being resistant to two or more antibiotics. Antibiotic susceptibility test is necessary for effective control of wound infections.

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, Apr 1, 2019

Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of c... more Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of confidential health care data. However, health care professionals overlooked their important tasks of medical data processing. Hence, using high-quality electronic health record (EHR) applications in health care is important to minimize medical errors. Therefore, this review tries to indicate the roles of EHR in advancing quality health care service provisions. Methods: The keywords identified were EHR, EMR, medical data processing, medical data retention, medical data destruction, health care, and patient care, and a few related terms with different combinations. PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Google Scholar, and Google search engine were used to search for articles from those databases. Searching was done using boolean words "AND", "OR", and "NOT" using all [All fields] and [MeSH Terms] searching strategies. Results: Articles were screened using the title, checked by their abstract, and the remaining related full-text materials were included or excluded by two individuals deciding its eligibility. Finally, 73 materials issued from 2013-2018 were used for qualitatively synthesizing and reconciling the idea to produce this review article. Conclusion: Poor medical data processing systems are the key reasons for medical errors. Employing standardized data management systems reduce errors and associated sufferings. Therefore, using electronic tools in the health care institution ensures safe and efficient data management. Therefore, it is important to establish appropriate medical data management systems for efficient health care delivery.

Additional file 2: Figure S1. The overall burden of intestinal parasites in terms of their freque... more Additional file 2: Figure S1. The overall burden of intestinal parasites in terms of their frequency per individual among patients at Shahura Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants among patien... more Additional file 1: Table S1. Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants among patients at Shahura Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018.

Additional file 1. English version questionnaire.

Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018

Background Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they ca... more Background Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they can generate hazardous biomedical wastes to a human being or the environment. Generation and disposal of biomedical wastes have become an emerging problem worldwide. Objective To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice about biomedical waste management and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Debre Markos town healthcare facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was employed, and data were collected through structured self-administered questionnaire and observational checklist. Data were entered into the Epi-data 3.1 software and exported into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed. Variables with a P value of <0.05 in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were considered to explain the presence of statistically significant associations. Result Among 296 healthcare professionals s...

Clinical laboratory, 2020

BACKGROUND The aim was to produce quality results that clinical laboratories need to implement an... more BACKGROUND The aim was to produce quality results that clinical laboratories need to implement and maintain continuous quality improvement systems. In recent years, health organizations have increasingly prioritized the quality of laboratory services by implementing quality management systems (QMSs) and building quality improvement activities. Efforts to strengthen laboratory systems in the African region have received increased attention in recent years. Assessing the implementation levels of laboratory quality management system components is important to identify the gaps that need further improvements. METHODS A cross-sectional study design was used between March and May 2017 in selected government hospitals of Ethiopia, and sample size was determined using a finite population formula, and a proportional sampling technique was employed; a sample size of 184 (62%) was calculated from 295 laboratory professionals. RESULTS All respondents were informed about the laboratory's exp...

Background: Hepatitis B Virus is one of the major causes of global public health problems. Diagno... more Background: Hepatitis B Virus is one of the major causes of global public health problems. Diagnosis of HBV is done by using ELISA and immune-chromatographic assays for detecting different serologic markers. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is the most frequently used serological marker employed to diagnosis HBV using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) methods. The RDT method is the most commonly used diagnostic tool in Ethiopia as well as in most African countries. Therefore assessing and knowing the diagnostic performance of the RDT is important. Method: A prospective cross sectional study was done at University of Gondar comprehensive specialized Hospital from Feb, 2017- May, 2017. Ethical clearance was obtained from School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Permission was obtained from Blood Bank office to use blood sample collected from voluntary blood donors. HBsAg was diagnosed using RDT and ELISA methods...

Objective A patient with health problems seek healthcare services from healthcare professionals. ... more Objective A patient with health problems seek healthcare services from healthcare professionals. Their patientprovider relationships are usually affected by roles, gifts, services, and physical contact. The major ethical healthcare practices focus on respecting patient's freedom and basic human rights. However, there are only limited references materials issued on medical ethics and ethical medical practices. Hence, this review article tries to describe the important aspects of ethical practices in healthcare delivery. Methods Initially, idea conceptualization, planning and keyword defining were for the development of this material. The keywords were medical ethics, code of ethics, bioethics, ethical practice, quality service and healthcare ethics. Result Then, two authors independently assessed published materials using EndNote® program from PubMed (NML) and Google Scholar databases. Finally, from a total of 721 full-text articles downloaded, 34 published article meeting inclusion criteria were included in this article. Conclusion Adherence to high ethical and moral standards, responding to societal needs and reflection social

BMC Research Notes, 2019

Objective: Medical waste is a total waste stream which is generated from the healthcare facilitie... more Objective: Medical waste is a total waste stream which is generated from the healthcare facilities during the healthcare delivery process. It can contain potentially hazardous substances for the human being and the environment. Waste handlers play a significant role for its proper management and they need to have adequate knowledge, attitude, and practices. The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of waste handlers regarding medical waste management in Debre Markos town healthcare facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Results: A total of 55 medical waste handlers were studied from 12 healthcare facilities. Among this, 25 (45.4%) were diploma and certificate holders. The majority (69.1%) of the study participants were not provided with proper training. There was a lack of personal protective devices and waste management equipment supply. Regarding knowledge, attitude, and practices, 25 (45.5%), 43 (78.2%), and 44 (80%) of the study participants had adequate knowledge, favorable attitude, and adequate practice scores, respectively. There was high (30.9%) prevalence of needlestick and sharps injuries. Healthcare facilities should provide periodic training and adequate supplies for the waste handlers. Further study should be conducted on a large scale by including different levels of health facilities and regions of the country.

Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 2015

Background: The rapid and continuous growth of health care cost aggravates the frequently low pri... more Background: The rapid and continuous growth of health care cost aggravates the frequently low priority and less attention given in financing laboratory services. The poorest countries have the highest out-of-pocket spending as a percentage of income. Higher charges might provide a greater potential for revenue. If fees raise quality sufficiently, it can enhance usage. Therefore, estimating the revenue generated from laboratory services could help in capacity building and improved quality service provision. Methods: Panel study design was used to determine revenue generated from clinical chemistry and hematology services at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Activity-Based Costing (ABC) model was used to determine the true cost of tests performed from October 2011 to December 2011 in the hospital. The principle of Activity-based Costing is that activities consume resources and activities consumed by services which incur the costs and hence service takes the cost of resources. All resources with costs are aggregated with the established casual relationships. The process maps designed was restructured in consultation with the senior staffs working and/or supervising the laboratory and pretested checklists were used for observation. Moreover, office documents, receipts and service bills were used while collecting data. The amount of revenue collected from services was compared with the cost of each subsequent test and the profitability or return on investment (ROI) of services was calculated. Data were collected, entered, cleaned, and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007 software program and Statistical Software Package for Social Sciences version 19 (SPSS). Paired sample t test was used to compare the price and cost of each test. P-value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Result: A total of 25,654 specimens were analyzed during 3 months of regular working hours. The total numbers of clinical chemistry and hematology tests performed during the study period were 45,959 (66.1 %) and 23,570 (33.9 %), respectively. Only 274, 386 (25.3 %) Ethiopian Birr (ETB) was recovered from the total cost of 1,086,008.09 ETB incurred on clinical chemistry and hematology laboratory tests. The result showed that, about 133,821 (12.32 %) ETB was revenue not collected from out-of-pocket payments that was paid for the services as a result of under pricing. The result showed that 18 out of 20 laboratory tests were under priced. The cost burden related to free Anti Retro-viral Therapy (ART) services was 285,979.82 (26.3 %) ETB. Conclusion: The cost per test estimated was significantly different to the existing price. About 90 % of the tests were under priced. This information could warn the hospital to reconsider resetting prices of these tests profitability ration less than 1. The revenue collected could help to build capacity, upscale quality, and sustainable service delivery.

Family Medicine & Medical Science Research, 2015

Introduction: Khat refers to the leaves and the young shoots of the plant Catha edulis Forsk, whi... more Introduction: Khat refers to the leaves and the young shoots of the plant Catha edulis Forsk, which belonging to the plant family Celastraceae. Khat is an evergreen shrub or tree found growing wild or cultivated in the east of a region extending from Southern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. The habit of khat chewing has prevailed for centuries in this part of the world. Objective: To summarize the potential adverse health effects of khat (Catha edulis). Methodology: We used 57 different published materials for the compilation of this review article. Google search engine was used for accessing published materials from databases like Google Scholar, PubMed and HINARI. Result: Khat induces disturbance of mood, hallucination, delusions and aggressive behavior. It may also cause elevation of arterial blood pressure and pulse rate with subsequent increase in cardiovascular risk. In addition, khat may be associated with increased risk of carcinoma of the mouth and oesophagitis, anorexia and constipation. It may also have a toxic effect on the liver and kidneys. Conclusion: Many literatures reported that Khat has potential adverse health effects on organs and systems of the body. It affects nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and others.

International Emergency Nursing, 2015

Interpersonal violence has devastating consequences for the mental, physical and sexual health of... more Interpersonal violence has devastating consequences for the mental, physical and sexual health of the victim. It is a leading cause of injury in east Africa. Studies in Ethiopia report that the most common cause of injury was interpersonal conflict. Our objective was to study the incidence of interpersonal violence related injury and associated factors among patients visiting the emergency department of University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional institutional based study design was employed from November 2013-June 2014. The source population was a cohort sample of all patients presenting for treatment of a traumatic injury. Data were collected using injury surveillance guidelines developed by the World Health Organization. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify the presence and strength of association. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to determine the level of significance. The overall incidence of interpersonal violence related injury was 28.5% of all emergency department trauma patients. Multivariate logistic regression shows that conflict in the family prior to the event [AOR = 9.9 (95% CI: 4.433-9.536)], poor behavioral control [AOR = 2.5 (95% CI: 1.192-5.460)], alcohol use [AOR = 3.406 (95% CI: 1.813-6.398)] and paternal education [AOR = 2.441(95% CI: 1.209-4.929)] were found to be independently associated with interpersonal violence related injury. The incidence of interpersonal violence related injury was high. Counseling and education on conflict resolution methods should be given for the community using mass media.

Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 2018

Laboratory services have been described as the major processes contributing to safe patient care ... more Laboratory services have been described as the major processes contributing to safe patient care in the modern healthcare sector. However, occurrences of errors in the overall testing processes impair the clinical decision-making process. Such errors are supposed to be high in resource-poor countries, like Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess errors in the total testing process in the Clinical Chemistry laboratory of the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Hospital from February to March 2016. All the required data were collected using established quality indicators. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Frequencies and cross-tabulations were used to summarize descriptive statistics. A total of 3259 samples and corresponding laboratory request forms were received for analysis. The analysis of the overall distribution of errors revealed that 89.6% were pre-analytical errors, 2.6% were ...

BMC Research Notes, 2014

Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely c... more Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely controlled due to many reasons. The widespread uses of antibiotics, together with the length of time over which they have been available have led to major problems of resistant organisms contributing to morbidity and mortality. This study was aimed to assess bacterial isolates and their drug susceptibility patterns from patients with pus and/or wound discharge. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Gondar University Hospital from all individuals who provide pus and/or wound discharge sample from September, 2009 to August, 2012. Socio-demographic and laboratory results were collected from the University Hospital Microbiology Laboratory unit registration books by using a standard data collection format. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 628 study subjects were included in the study with bacterial isolation rate of 441 (70.2%). Of all, 344 (54.8%) were males. Two hundred eighty two (63.9%) of the isolates were gram positive and 159 (36.1%) were gram negative. About 331/ 441 (75.0%) of the total isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (32.9%), Coagulase Negative staphylococci (14.7%), Streptococcus spp. (11.6%), Escherichia coli (9.5%), Klebsiella spp. (6.3%). The result showed that 66.2% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, followed 59.8% for ampicillin, 59.1% for cotrimoxazole, 51.7% for penicillin; least resistant being 6.3% for gentamycin. Conclusion: High prevalence of bacterial isolates were found; S. aureus being the dominant. Most of the isolates were resistant to many of the antibiotics tested where all isolates of Pseudomonas spp. being resistant to two or more antibiotics. Antibiotic susceptibility test is necessary for effective control of wound infections.

Archives of Public Health, 2013

Background: Medical data recording is one of the basic clinical tools. Electronic Health Record (... more Background: Medical data recording is one of the basic clinical tools. Electronic Health Record (EHR) is important for data processing, communication, efficiency and effectiveness of patients' information access, confidentiality, ethical and/or legal issues. Clinical record promote and support communication among service providers and hence upscale quality of healthcare. Qualities of records are reflections of the quality of care patients offered. Methods: Qualitative analysis was undertaken for this systematic review. We reviewed 40 materials Published from 1999 to 2013. We searched these materials from databases including ovidMEDLINE and ovidEMBASE. Two reviewers independently screened materials on medical data recording, documentation and information processing and communication. Finally, all selected references were summarized, reconciled and compiled as one compatible document. Result: Patients were dying and/or getting much suffering as the result of poor quality medical records. Electronic health record minimizes errors, saves unnecessary time, and money wasted on processing medical data. Conclusion: Many countries have been complaining for incompleteness, inappropriateness and illegibility of records. Therefore creating awareness on the magnitude of the problem has paramount importance. Hence available correct patient information has lots of potential in reducing errors and support roles.

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 2019

Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of c... more Background: Implementing accurate data management systems ensure safe and efficient transfer of confidential health care data. However, health care professionals overlooked their important tasks of medical data processing. Hence, using high-quality electronic health record (EHR) applications in health care is important to minimize medical errors. Therefore, this review tries to indicate the roles of EHR in advancing quality health care service provisions. Methods: The keywords identified were EHR, EMR, medical data processing, medical data retention, medical data destruction, health care, and patient care, and a few related terms with different combinations. PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Google Scholar, and Google search engine were used to search for articles from those databases. Searching was done using boolean words "AND", "OR", and "NOT" using all [All fields] and [MeSH Terms] searching strategies. Results: Articles were screened using the title, checked by their abstract, and the remaining related full-text materials were included or excluded by two individuals deciding its eligibility. Finally, 73 materials issued from 2013-2018 were used for qualitatively synthesizing and reconciling the idea to produce this review article. Conclusion: Poor medical data processing systems are the key reasons for medical errors. Employing standardized data management systems reduce errors and associated sufferings. Therefore, using electronic tools in the health care institution ensures safe and efficient data management. Therefore, it is important to establish appropriate medical data management systems for efficient health care delivery.

Background Assessing quality by considering input, process and output level quality variables is ... more Background Assessing quality by considering input, process and output level quality variables is important to ensure improved quality services. Designing and execution of an effective quality management system are aimed for the purpose of quality improvement, error reduction and associated risks. Therefore, this review is designed to assess the value of accreditation on the performance of healthcare institutions in ensuring quality improvement interventions. Moreover, this review presents important concepts of accreditation and the aspects of quality. Methods Published articles were downloaded using EndNote® application software program from PubMed (NML) database, Web of Sciences (TS) and Google Scholar. From a total of 883 downloaded full-text published materials, only 28 journals and 1 report issued from 2010 to 2017 were used for the development of this review. Result The overall quality of healthcare services in developing countries was error-prone and suffered from limitations....

Journal of Environmental and Public Health

Background. Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they c... more Background. Healthcare activities restore health and save lives at the same time; however, they can generate hazardous biomedical wastes to a human being or the environment. Generation and disposal of biomedical wastes have become an emerging problem worldwide. Objective. To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice about biomedical waste management and associated factors among healthcare professionals in Debre Markos town healthcare facilities, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was employed, and data were collected through structured self-administered questionnaire and observational checklist. Data were entered into the Epi-data 3.1 software and exported into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed. Variables with a P value of <0.05 in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were considered to explain the presence of statistically significant associations. Result. Among 296 healthcare professiona...

BMC Research Notes, 2014

Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely c... more Background: In spite of advances in control of infections, wound infections have not completely controlled due to many reasons. The widespread uses of antibiotics, together with the length of time over which they have been available have led to major problems of resistant organisms contributing to morbidity and mortality. This study was aimed to assess bacterial isolates and their drug susceptibility patterns from patients with pus and/or wound discharge. . Socio-demographic and laboratory results were collected from the University Hospital Microbiology Laboratory unit registration books by using a standard data collection format. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 628 study subjects were included in the study with bacterial isolation rate of 441 (70.2%). Of all, 344 (54.8%) were males. Two hundred eighty two (63.9%) of the isolates were gram positive and 159 (36.1%) were gram negative. About 331/ 441 (75.0%) of the total isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (32.9%), Coagulase Negative staphylococci (14.7%), Streptococcus spp. (11.6%), Escherichia coli (9.5%), Klebsiella spp. (6.3%). The result showed that 66.2% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, followed 59.8% for ampicillin, 59.1% for cotrimoxazole, 51.7% for penicillin; least resistant being 6.3% for gentamycin. Conclusion: High prevalence of bacterial isolates were found; S. aureus being the dominant. Most of the isolates were resistant to many of the antibiotics tested where all isolates of Pseudomonas spp. being resistant to two or more antibiotics. Antibiotic susceptibility test is necessary for effective control of wound infections.