ABSTRACT
This study assessed patients’ perception of cleanliness in the radiology departments. It was a survey research conducted in 2013 at the x-ray departments of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) Parklane, National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu (NOHE). Research questions outlined in three sections were used to obtain data from 135 respondents using convenient sampling. The data were statistically analyzed using mean score tables. The analysis showed grand mean values 2.1 and 2.4 for the research questions in sections B and C respectively. The findings revealed that the patients perceive cleanliness highly and are concerned about the radiology departments’ environment and other factors which influence their perception of cleanliness, the patients’ psychology with respect to the perceived level of cleanliness in the radiology departments affects their trust for the level of care obtainable. This study will alert the radiology departments about the concern of the patients for adequate cleanliness in the care they receive.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page ----------- i
Approval Page- - - - - - - - - - ii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - iii
Dedication ----------iv
Acknowledgement---------v
Abstract -----------vi
Table of Contents ---------vii
List of Tables - - - - - - - - - - x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study - - - -----1
1.2 Statement of Problems --------3
1.3 Objectives of study ---------3
1.4 Significance of the study--------3
1.5 Scope of the Study---------3
1.6 Literature review - - -------4
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND - - - 10
2.1 The Patient- - - - - - - - - - 10
2.1.1 Categories of patient - - - - - - - 10
2.1.2 Pediatric and Geriatric Patients - - - - - - 11
2.1.3 Other Categories - - - - - - - - - 12
2.2 Perception - - - - - - - - - - 16
2.2.1 Characteristics of the perceiver - - - - - - 18
2.2.2 Characteristics of the Target - - - - - - - 19
2.2.3 Characteristics of the situation - - - - - - - 19
2.3 Cleanliness - - - - - - - - - - - 20
2.4 Radiology Department - - - - - - - - - 20
2.4.1 Considerations for the Design and Rehabilitation - - - 21
2.4.2 Organizational Requirements - - - - - - - 21
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY - - 23
3.1 Study Design - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
3.2 Target Population - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
3.3 Sampling method - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
3.3.1 Inclusion criteria - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
3.3.2 Exclusion criteria - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
3.4 Sample size - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24
3.5 Source of data collection - - - - - - - - - - 24
3.6 Method of data collection - - - - - - - - - - 24
3.7 Method of data Analysis - - - - - - - - - - 25
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS - - 27
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATIONS OF STUDY, AREAS OF FURTHER STUDY AND CONCLUSION - - 32
5.1 Discussion - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32
5.2 Summary of findings - - - - - - - - - - - 34
5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - - - - - - 34
5.4 Limitations of study - - - - - - - - - - - 35
5.5 Areas of further study - - - - - - - - - - - 35
5.6 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 35
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Age and Sex distribution of the respondents - - - - - - 27
Table 2: Education status of the respondents - - - - - - - - - 28
Table 3: The mean scores on the perception of patients about cleanliness in the radiology departments - - - 29
Table 4: Patients’ reactions towards the state of cleanliness in the radiology department - - - - - - 30
Table 5: Patients’ reactions towards the state of cleanliness in the radiology departments - - - - - - 31
INTRODUCTION
Cleanliness is the state of being clean or the habit of keeping things clean. Cleanliness in hospitals means more than just maintaining a clean and safe environment. It makes a statement to patients and visitors about the attitudes of staff , managers and the trust board. It reflects attention to detail, the level of care and the way the hospital is organised and run. There has being an increasing awareness of patients in relation to the quality of health care they receive in the hospitals. The hospital environment is the first point of call to a patient in this perspective and the way a patient perceive the hospital environment goes a long way in determining his believe in the quality of health care. The perception of a patient in the area of cleanliness in the radiology department is a very important factor to consider.
There is an increasing evidence that the quality of the physical environment has an impact on clinical outcomes for patient1. The perception that a patient has of the standards of cleanliness in a hospital, whether they affect clinical care or not, can harm confidence in the care that they will receive2. The success or failure of any hospital largely depends on the satisfaction met by the patients in any section of the hospital they attend for care. The radiology department is one of the important areas of the hospital that need to be maintained always for tidy environment so as to reassure the patients of their safety and comfort in the department. There is a strong link between the patients perceptions of cleanliness in the radiology department and his satisfaction of the quality of care and this appears to be a major device in order to take important decisions by the radiology staff.
A clean, tidy and well-maintained environment is part of the decent standard of healthcare that patients have a right to expect. Although a clean and tidy environment will not in itself provide a sufficient guarantee that patients will not run the risk of contracting an infection as a result of their care, it is clear that a failure to maintain a clean environment can break the fundamental cycle for good control of infection2. The appearance of the environment is a complex set of perceptions based on what individuals believe to be important, what they observe and what they expect3. Every accessory in the radiology department may appear contaminated in the eye of the uninformed patient. Therefore, to gain the patients confidence, adequate communication is vital.
Patients across Enugu urban may have a high expectancy for clean environment and other good quality services in the hospital. The result of their different perceptions may affect diagnostic results positively or negatively and the various factors influencing this need to be determined. In view of this, there is great need to ascertain how patients in Enugu urban perceive cleanliness in radiology departments of the tertiary hospitals and this research hereby is a great tool in filling this gap so that good quality patient care will be met.
