effects of climate change on food security in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

 

Background: The study is conceived with the aim of investigating the Utilization Of Mobile Technology For Knowledge Update Among Nurses In Primary And Secondary Healthcare Settings In Osun State, Nigeria. The study started from the premise that access to relevant information and knowledge is critical to the delivery of effective healthcare services.  numerous challenges in updating their knowledge. These challenges notwithstanding, the nurses still have a professional obligation for safe practice supported by up-to-date knowledge which mobile technology has great potentials to provide.

Method: The research was descriptive and exploratory in nature and used health facilities in Osun State as the case study. This study reviewed the 42 health facilities (16 public and 26 private facilities) in Osun State on health information technology to determine its effect on outcomes, including quality, efficiency, and provider satisfaction. Open and closed structured questionnaire and data were collected on individual occurrences of the phenomenon in respective facilities. Grounded theory approach was used as an analytical tool.

Results: Major themes that emerged from the data are highlighted. The key findings of the study were that: medical professionals needed information continuously in the course of their clinical work. The findings revealed lack of information services, inadequate access and use of electronic information resources and inadequate mobile technology skills among the Nurses and other medical

Conclusions: Many critical information needs of the medical professionals are not being met adequately. Improved usage of mobile technology was viewed as the only realistic strategy for enhancing information access and information sharing among the medical professionals at the hospital. Recommendations for enhancing access to health information in Osun State include: establishment of a hospital library and information services; appointment of information professionals with skills and capabilities to conduct online information searches to assist in clinical decision-making and ability to train clinicians in MOBILE TECHNOLOGY skills; formulation of MOBILE TECHNOLOGY strategies and policy; capital investments in the form of internet and supporting MOBILE TECHNOLOGY infrastructure; involvement of all stakeholders; and allocation of adequate financial resources for improved access to health information by the medical professionals. Nevertheless 92% of the respondents on health information technology reached conclusions that were positive overall that the benefits of the technology are beginning to emerge in smaller practices and organizations, as well as in large organizations that were early adopters. However, dissatisfaction with electronic health records among some providers remains a problem and a barrier to achieving the potential of health information technology.

 

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 Introduction

Advent of technology and the growing consumption will drastically affect the traditional geographic determinants in health care systems. Thus the term technology is a broad base of activities which support requirements for handling operation and communication within an organization in all aspect in order to achieve certain goals for the benefit of the user or patient/client.

According to the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) studies sponsored by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) the MOBILE TECHNOLOGY sector is seen as a gamut of industries and service activities, including internet service provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology (IT) equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation centers, commercial information providers, network-based information services, infrastructure and other related information and communication activities (Bowman &Waema, 2007).

It has been observed that nations as diverse as Canada, Japan and Korea provide insights into how to achieve maximum success in MOBILE TECHNOLOGY development and roles government can effectively assume to enhance better access to and utilization of health services. Frieden (2005) argues that successful MOBILE TECHNOLOGY incubation appears to require government involvement, albeit with a light hand that stimulates and reward investment, reduces un-needed regulatory scrutiny and promotes global market-place attractiveness without to favor a specific technology or company.

Among the developing countries, Africa has the lowest technology density in the world and the lowest level of connectivity, access and utilization even when compared to less-developed nations such as Eastern European countries and India for that case. However within Africa, there is a wide variation from country to country regarding success in the use of technology despite the adoption of various strategies aimed at addressing their developmental challenges in the late 1990s at the behest of donors. In response to this deficit, some countries such as South Africa initiated the South African Information Technology Strategy (SAITIS) in 1998. In comparison with other African countries like South Africa , Nigeria is a middle case in-term of MOBILE TECHNOLOGY development in the health sector.

This study therefore intends to investigate the Utilization Of Mobile Technology For Knowledge Update Among Nurses In Primary And Secondary Healthcare Settings In Osun State, Nigeria.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

Utilization of quality health care and safety ensures that the right information is available at the right time to support patient care and health management decisions. Continuous health care delivery and content quality management; is key, to ensuring that information is usable and actionable. Thus the need for preserving digital information and making it accessible for the present and future is expected to be captured by all health care facilities to maximize full and beneficial exploitation of new technological opportunities to bring about fundamental and dramatic improvement in social and economic conditions of people and challenges that generally include poverty eradication, HIV/AIDS, disease endemic, un-employment and recurrent weather-related disaster such as droughts and floods. Technology use still has un-tapped potential and most health facilities run the risk of lagging behind in the provision of proper medical interventions and ideal therapeutic measures. Late patient transfers, inconsistent decisions, treatment and time-over trend information reporting of disease such as viral hemorrhage fever and adverse effects following immunization, urethral discharge in female have time to tine been noted.

E-health offers great assistance in automatic diagnosis, electrocardiogram screening and monitoring activities which most of the health facilities lack despite investing funds and time to capacity-build health care workers with the knowledge gap in the use of technology such as mobile health in restructuring health service delivery.

Network interruptions, in-accessibilities and technophobia are some of the challenges facing mobile health systems, designed to strengthen community referral services by linking households, community health workers and health facilities in real-time health information system to track pregnancies, births and maternal deaths and other ill-health conditions in order to provide up-dates and remainder for timely interventions for such mitigate-able cases. Additional evidence confirms that the digital divide, unless checked and reversed, it will lead to marginalization and eventual exclusion use of technology on patient health care management.

1.4 Broad Objective

   To determine the  Utilization Of Mobile Technology For Knowledge Update Among Nurses In Primary And Secondary Healthcare Settings In Osun State, Nigeria.

  1.5 Specific Objectives

1. Identify the information needs of Nurses in Osun state
2. Determine the channel and sources used by Nurses for obtaining health information in Osun State

• Identify the factors for which they require mobile technology support in accessing health information.

1. Establish the extent of the current usage and level of adoption of mobile technology among Nurses in Osun State.
2. Determine the potential challenges in utilization of health services in Osun State.

1.6 Research Questions

1. What kinds of information do Nurses need for their daily clinical practice in Osun State?
2. How do Nurse obtain information to guide their clinical practice in Osun State?

• To what extent do the existing health information systems/services meet their information needs in Osun State?

1. What kinds of mobile technology are available at health facilities; and to what extent are they utilized in accessing information for clinical purposes in Osun State?
2. What are the challenges in utilization of health services in Osun state?

1.7 Study Justification

Efficient and effective technology satisfies its intended use in decision making and planning health care services.

According to (WHO, 2003), the relevance of technology in the information processed is vital to the smooth running of the facility and also assists the government on the provision of health care services locally and nationally. Inappropriate or complete lack of technology in health facilities will lead to delayed information, wrong decision-making and poor allocation of resources on health care delivery

On the other hand, complete lack and poor perception of technology leads to the difficulties in tracing patients‘ appointments, monitoring events such as disease out-breaks, evaluating and providing quick feedback mechanisms on the health care delivery systems.

Information gathered in this study will guide to come with ways to develop guidelines to enhance proper health care services and enable dissemination of information to both health workers and patients. It will serve as a tool to import knowledge, skills as well as improve patient management by health professionals.

This project seeks to encourage on an e-health initiative in the health facilities n finding ways of exploring and getting financial support from several organizations including: UNICEF, USAID, NEPAD, JICA, and WHO.

This study also aims at encouraging health workers on getting information and reports from patients via mobile phones especially on health tips, accidents and emergency cases or any other set of conditions, thereby reducing the expenses to travel

In order to empower health facilities to conduct local statistics and avail their findings to their patients or residents, the study will acts as a guide to encourage health workers and health experts to train on how to use statistical information systems, geographical information systems (GPS) to generate vital statistical for planning health services, predmobiletechnologyion and management of patients.

1.8 Operational Definition Of Terms

 

Health: A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the

Absence of the disease or infirmity.

Health Information Technology (HIT): Deals with human/machine integration and interaction, conceptualized as a combination of computer science, information science, medical and nursing science designed to assist in the management and processing of health-care data, information and knowledge to support the delivery of health care.

Health Information Exchange (HIE): Refers to the practice to improve access and referral services and processes to reduce staff time.

Health Information Technology Utilization (HITU): Is operationalized as the act of using health care computing technology (i.e. laboratory, radiology, electronic records, personal health records, mobile health, etc) during patient care planning, treatment, communication, and decision-making.

Utilization: Is the degree to which the individuals or community obtain information and services from health care providers.

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