University of Macau / Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences

This research implements a mixed method design to examine complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among Chinese Canadians. Using logistic regression to analyze data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, this study explores the relationship between Chinese ethnicity and CAM use. This study also uses narrative accounts from case study interviews with Chinese Canadian CAM users to understand why they use CAM. The quantitative results indicate that Chinese ethnicity and other cultural variables significantly affect respondents' likelihood of using CAM. The qualitative results reveal four main reasons for CAM use: (1) adherence to traditional understandings of health and illness, (2) views about the effectiveness of Chinese medicine, (3) acceptance of use by family and friends, and (4) access to Chinese medicine practitioners. The findings are integrated and discussed in the context of the study's theoretical and methodological contributions for the sociological study of CAM use among visible minority groups.

Problems concerning the planning and practicing of health care currently exist. Countries are spending more funds on medical care without making a discernible dent in the health status of their citizens. This lack of success in obtaining health is obviously a problem for everyone experiencing ill health or the effects thereof It also creates a personal problem for all health workers, because a halt is being called to profligate spending on health that will affect all. The problems underlying tl:e health care crisis are rising costs, unequal distribution, low productivity, poor heali..ii status, and a lack in sensitivity towards the communities it serves. The multi-disciplinary, complex nature of these problems in health care, their magnitude and their inter-relatedness indicate that traditional approaches to health care planning and management have been inadequate or have failed. An alternative approach to solve these problems is to adopt a holistic view, i.e., to see all parts (components) which contribute to the problem as parts of the whole. By viewing the problem as a whole, more enduring solutions may be formulated. The aim of this study was to employ and evaluate the adoption of a systems approach to solve "real life" problems. The Soft Systems Methodology of Peter Checkland was utilized to assess the situation within the Oral Health Service of the SAMS and to identify relevant systems to improve the situation. The need for a Preventive System and a Performance Measurement System was established. These two systems were planned, developed and implemented using and obeying systems rules and techniques. Both these systems were evaluated and found to be highly efficient, effective, cost-effective and made a positive net contribution to the Oral Health Service of the SAMS. It is finally concluded that the adoption of a systems approach to identify and solve "real life" problems was effective and efficient. It is therefore recommended that a systems approach to the management of oral health, and probably health too, should be embraced by the encumbered health industry. / Dissertation (MChD)--University of Pretoria, 1993. / gm2013 / Community Dentistry / unrestricted

D.Cur. (Community Nursing Science) / The purpose of the study was to develop a strategy to assist community nurses facilitate the mobilization of resources for meeting the basic needs of the elderly in the peri-urban and rural communities within the Hhohho region in Swaziland. Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research designs were used to explore and describe the basic needs and the resources for meeting the needs of the elderly. In order to achieve the study objectives and be logical, this study was organized into two phases namely: phase one and two. Phase one focused on the first objective namely: to explore and describe the basic needs and resources of the elderly in the peri-urban and rural communities in the Hhohho region in Swaziland. The second phase focused on the second objective namely: to develop and describe the strategy for mobilizing the resources meeting the basic needs of the elderly. Purposive sampling was utilized to select participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using focus groups and individual indepth face-toface interviews. Tesch method of qualitative data analysis was utilized to identify themes. From the study findings the researcher and the independent coder identified the following themes from the focus groups and individual indepth face-to-face interviews with the elderly and the key informants in the peri-urban and rural communities in the Hhohho region: • Theme 1: Need for resources because of poverty • Theme 2: Need for support because of burden for caring for others • Theme 3: Need for health care because of health challenges • Theme 4: Need for company because of loneliness • Theme 5: Need for protection because of abuse of the elderly persons The study highlighted a lack of resources including food security, housing accommodation, clothing, water supply and basic sanitation, electricity supply and lack of financial resource. The burden of caring for grandchildren who were orphans due to HIV/AIDS related illnesses and others as well as chronic illnesses were also reported...

M.Cur. (Nursing Management) / Motivation is a process that influence and directs behaviour in order to satisfy a need. Motivation of nurses is important in the primary health care environment since low levels of motivation among Primary Health Care (PHC) nurses; who are in a critical position in health service delivery; could have a negative impact on the achievement of high standards in the nursing profession. This situation is also relevant in a mine clinic setting. The main factor in motivating nurses may be a sense of success. However, levels of stimulation and individual requirements also significantly influence the motivation of a person. As a manager at a mine clinic setting, the researcher became aware; by means of staff progress reports and performance appraisals; that PHC nurses (professional nurses) were demotivated. The research questions were therefore posed: - What are the motivational needs of PHC nurses in the workplace at mine clinic settings? - What should be done to assist these nurses to acquire motivation in the work place? Therefore, it was imperative to explore and describe the motivational needs of PHC nurses in their work place and to describe recommendations for nurse managers at a mine clinic setting to motivate PHC nurses. The study was conducted within the theoretical framework of McClelland’s Acquired Motivation Theory that consists of three basic needs, i.e. the need for achievement, the need for power, and the need for affiliation. A quantitative, explorative, descriptive design was followed and the researcher used a structured questionnaire to explore the perceptions of PHC nurses about their needs to acquire motivation in their workplace. The accessible population in this study was PHC nurses (N = 30) working at the 13 mine clinics. The accessible population served as the total sample.

Master of Public Health / This study aimed to contribute to the current debate around equity in health care resource allocation by measuring the current allocation of resources, relative to need in the Northern Cape. It also discussed the level of inequities in health financing expenditure and staffing at the primary health care level between different districts of the Northern Cape. / South Africa

Master of Public Health - MPH / Many parts of South Africa face a shortage of doctors within the public health system. While the PHC system is driven primarily by nursing staff, there is a need for doctors to provide certain services at primary and secondary levels. In 1996, as part of its efforts to address the shortage of doctors, the DoH began recruiting Cuban doctors to work in South Africa. This programme, now underway in eight of the nine provinces, falls under a government-to-government agreement aimed at strengthening the provision of health care in the areas of greatest need: townships and rural areas. The programme has demonstrated tangible success. However, it has also been criticised in some sections of the medical community and the media, where it has been portrayed in a controversial light. All this underlines the importance of an analysis of the programme, but to date, no such evaluation has been carried out.This research assesses the Cuban Health Programme in Gauteng province. On the basis of this thorough assessment, the government can take steps to improve the national programme, using Gauteng as a case study. This study was conducted in July 2004, employing qualitative methods to develop an in-depth understanding of recruitment and induction processes in Cuba and South Africa, the scope of practice of Cuban doctors, professional relationships, adaptation to the health system and broader society, and other factors. The researcher also conducted a review of official documents. Gauteng began with two Cuban doctors at the outset of the programme in 1996. The number peaked at 32, and has since dropped to 15. All of these doctors were interviewed in the course of the research, along with five managers and five peers. The study revealed that all the interviewees, except one manager, firmly believe that the programme has achieved its objectives, and should continue. Peers and managers commended the high quality, comprehensive and caring approach of the Cuban doctors, and say they are satisfying a real need. The Cuban doctors, however, believe that because they are providing mostly curative services, they are under-utilised. Flowing from the research are a series of recommendations. These include a proposal that the government recommit to the programme and ensure its continuity, and review the current role of the Cuban doctors, taking into consideration their willingness to provide training and expertise in preventive interventions. / South Africa

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / The extent to which customers are satified with the care they receive from the health professionals has been an important area of interest for researchers, managers and health care workers. The physiotherapy cerebral palsy clinic at Mulago Hospital in Kampala Uganda provides physiotherapy services for parents caregivers of children with cerebral palsy. The parents caregivers visit the clinic seeking physiotherapy services that will address their problems and those of the child. The purpose of this study was to explore the satisfaction that the parents caregivers of children with cerebral palsy get from utilising the physiotherapy services at the clinic and to identify the barriers problems that they encounter that might affect their attendance. / South Africa

No description available.

The general aim of this study was to determine the experiences of a sample of terminally ill patients in using spiritually focused psychotherapy. This was a qualitative study conducted to a sample of 2 terminally ill patients from hospice in Grahamstown, South Africa. The research was conducted in 3 phases: an initial in-depth interview conducted to determine the participants' level of spirituality as well as the extent to which their terminal illnesses had affected their functioning. This was followed by a minimum of 6 spiritually focused therapy (SFT) sessions as a second phase of the research. To determine the participants' experiences of SFT, 2-3 in-depth interviews were conducted during the 3m phase of the research study. The research revealed that a belief in a higher power helps terminally ill patients cope better with their illness and that social disconnectedness is related to HIV / AIDS stigma. It also revealed that terminal illness is co-morbid with other psychiatric symptoms such as depression, evokes existential concerns, results in a change in the level of spirituality and affects the whole family. Participants blamed themselves for their illness, but found that engaging in the process of forgiveness of self and others brought about psychological healing for them. They experienced SFT as a coping resource that assisted them to deal with the fear of death as well as increased insight into the development of psychopathology and spiritual blockages. It is recommended that a comprehensive and holistic assessment during intake be undertaken so that where spiritual needs are available, therapy can be spiritually augmented to ensure that such needs/ struggles are addressed. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in