Assessment of the Effect of Poor Communication on Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The main focus of this study is to examine the effect of poor communication on health care delivery in Nigeria. Specifically the study seeks
- To understand the importance of communication between the patients and health care providers
- To investigate if effective communication affects the quality of patient’s health recovery process and care satisfaction in the health care settings.
- To examine if there is possibility that nurse’s poor communication skills have been a leading factor in wrong administration of medications to patients
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Effective Communication
Effective communication can be defined as verbal speech or other methods of relaying information in order to get a point across.1 If either party does not understand the purpose of the information conveyed, communication cannot be effective. Effective communication within a healthcare setting is critically important. Workers of varying skillsets within a healthcare setting must communicate clearly with each other to best coordinate care delivery to patients. Some of these skillsets can be very different. For example, the role of a physician is very different from the role of an occupational therapist. However, both must communicate clearly with each other to ensure that appropriate care recommendations are met.
With regards to patient-system interactions, communication is bidirectional:
- Patients need to be able to convey information about their health complaints to healthcare workers.
- Healthcare workers must be able to adequately comprehend and interpret the information in order treat health complaints appropriately.
In order to decrease the risk of health complaints from recurring, healthcare workers must convey adequate information to patients to help them take preventative measures in order to maintain their health.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain assessment of the effect of poor communication on healthcare delivery in Nigeria. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of assessment of the effect of poor communication on healthcare delivery in Nigeria Summary
This study was on assessment of the effect of poor communication on healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Three objectives were raised which included; To understand the importance of communication between the patients and health care providers, to investigate if effective communication affects the quality of patient’s health recovery process and care satisfaction in the health care settings and to examine if there is possibility that nurse’s poor communication skills have been a leading factor in wrong administration of medications to patients. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected hospitals in Abia State. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The study objective was achieved but further studies on public and private hospitals was recommended to shed more light on the effects of communication on quality service delivery in healthcare provision. A time series analysis would give more elaborate results.
Recommendation
There is need to enhance communication in healthcare facilities in the country which calls for more research on how this is done especially in public hospitals which are the majority and for which resource constrained Abians would find reprieve if they functioned better than private and mission hospitals and if they were affordable especially in advancing the efforts at universal healthcare. Besides communication, other factors that would impede quality service delivery in hospitals would also be researched with a view of addressing the gaps.
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