BACKGROUND: Lehurutshe Hospital is a district hospital situated in rural North West Province of South Africa. The Hospital offers basic radiological services such as X-rays of the chest, abdomen, extremities and skull according to the norms and standards set by the National Department of Health for a level one hospital. According to 2008/2009 data from the Hospital, it is evident that the number of patients requiring radiology services is increasing. However, no systematic study has been done to determine the reasons and effects of this increasing caseload on the Radiology Unit of the Hospital. This study seeks to establish the caseload and the resources utilised for the services rendered by the Radiology Unit in Lehurutshe Hospital with specific focus on the patient profile and material and human resources utilisation. AIM: To assess the utilization of the Radiology Unit at Lehurutshe Hospital in terms of caseload, profile of patients, and resource utilization from 01 January to 31 December 2009 METHODOLOGY: This was a cross sectional study. The setting was the Radiology Unit of the Lehurutshe Hospital in Zeerust town, Ngaka Modiri Molema District in the North West Province. A retrospective record review was done and information was extracted from the Hospital information system on various variables that are relevant to the functions and resource utilization of the Radiology Unit, including caseload, profile of patients, resource utilization and workload of staff. No primary data was collected. RESULTS: The study found that more than 5000 patients were seen and radiological examinations were done during this period with a total number of public patients being significantly higher than private patients. Nearly 500 radiological examinations were done per month. The wide variation in the number of examinations done per month was probably due to seasonality, which may affect operational planning and inventory management at the Unit. Almost 50% of the radiological examinations were chest X-rays. Other examinations include X-ray of the upper and lower extremities and ultrasound examination for obstetrics and gynaecology. These examinations were done based on various clinical indications. A significant number of public patients seen at the Unit were infants, children and teenagers. The private patients were from an older age group. The majority of patient were unemployed and indigent. The material resources used in the Unit includes X-ray films, chemicals (developers and fixers) and ultrasound gel. The Unit has two radiographer and one radiographer assistant. In addition, a medical doctor read the X-rays as and when necessary. The direct costs incurred at the unit include use of material resources, maintenance of equipments (service contract) and compensation of employees. Total direct cost during the study period was R 650 803.89, most of which were incurred due to compensation of employees and maintenance of radiological equipments. Patient to staff ratio at the unit was quiet low and it shows there is spare capacity at the Unit, which could easily be used for income generation by the provision of services to private patients. CONCLUSION: This is probably the first study conducted at a radiology unit of a district hospital in South Africa. This study documented important information, which was not published before.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1957.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1957.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1978.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1959.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1971.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1978.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1959.

Thesis (M.H.A.)--University of Michigan, 1971.

A atuação da equipe de enfermagem em Centro de Diagnóstico por Imagem é pouco estudada e consequentemente, pouco conhecida. Existe lacuna de conhecimento sobre a carga de trabalho desses profissionais e a maneira adequada de calcular o número de profissionais necessários para atender às demandas de uma área caracterizada pela tecnologia e agilidade. Objetivo: Identificar indicadores para o dimensionamento de profissionais de enfermagem em Centro de Diagnóstico por Imagem, por meio da identificação da carga média de trabalho nos setores: Mamografia, Medicina Nuclear, Ressonância Magnética, Radiologia Convencional, Tomografia, Ultrassonografia e Vascular Intervencionista. Método: Pesquisa metodológica de campo com abordagem quantitativa e amostra intencional em três Centros de Diagnóstico por Imagem do munícipio de São Paulo. Para a identificação da carga de trabalho, nos sete setores, foi utilizada a técnica de amostragem do trabalho, com intervalo de 10 minutos entre as observações, durante a jornada de trabalho dos profissionais de enfermagem, por meio do instrumento desenvolvido por Cruz, fundamentado pela Classificação das Intervenções de Enfermagem. Os dados foram coletados no período de julho de 2012 a julho de 2013. O cálculo da carga de trabalho fundamentou-se na metodologia de Gaidzinski. Resultados: O instrumento proposto por Cruz passou a ter 33 intervenções de enfermagem, segundo a Classificação de Intervenções de Enfermagem, após ser validado para os setores de Medicina Nuclear e Vascular Intervencionista. Foram realizadas 19.514 observações de 152 profissionais de enfermagem. Todas as intervenções/atividades observadas em campo estavam contidas no instrumento. A intervenção mais representativa para a carga de trabalho dos técnicos de enfermagem, nos sete setores, foi Assistência em Exames: Pré, variando de 48,4 a 35,5% do tempo de trabalho deste profissional. Para a categoria enfermeiro as intervenções predominantes variaram segundo os setores. As intervenções mais representativas para os enfermeiros foram: Avaliação da Saúde, Documentação, Assistência em Exames: Pré e Supervisão de Funcionários. O tempo dedicado às atividades associadas e pessoais representou para a categoria de técnicos de enfermagem 1,7% e 16,9% e para categoria de enfermeiros 1,2% e 9,0%, respectivamente. Conclusão: Esta pesquisa se reveste de caráter inédito, na área de gerenciamento de recursos humanos em saúde, pois oferece parâmetros para o cálculo do quadro de profissionais de enfermagem, por meio da carga média de trabalho da categoria profissional em cada um dos sete setores de um CDI / The operation role of nursing staff at Diagnostic Imaging Center is insufficiently studied and consequently little known. There is a knowledge gap on the workload of these professionals and the proper way to calculate the number of professionals needed to meet the demands of an area characterized by technology and agility. Objective: To identify indicators for the scalability of nursing professionals at Diagnostic Imaging Center, through the identification of medium workload in the sectors: Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, Magnetic Resonance, Conventional Radiology, Tomography, Ultrasound and Vascular Interventionist Radiology. Method: Field Methodological Research with a quantitative approach and intentional sample in three Image Diagnostic Centers in Sao Paulo city. To identify the workload in seven sectors, was used the work sampling technique with interval of 10 between observations, during the working hours of nurses, through the instrument developed by Cruz, grounded on Classification of Nursing Interventions. The data were collected from July 2012 to July 2013. The calculation to the workload was based on the Gaidzinski methodology. The results: The instrument proposed by Cruz had 33 nursing interventions according to Nursing Interventions Classification, after being validated for the sectors of Nuclear Medicine and Vascular Interventionist Radiology. There were made 19 514 observations of 152 professionals. All interventions/ activities observed in the field were contained in the instrument. The most representative intervention to the workload of nurses aides in seven sectors was Pre Examination Assistance, ranging from 48.4 to 35.5% of the professional working time. For the category nurse, the prevailing interventions varied according to the sectors. The most significant interventions for the nurses were: Health Screening, Documentation, Pre Examination Assistance and Staff Supervision. The time devoted to associated and personal activities represented to the category of nurses aides was 1,7% and 19,9%; and to the nurses category 1.2% and 9.0%, respectively. Conclusion: This research is of unprecedented nature in the management area of human resources for health, because it offers parameters for the calculation the nursing professional staff, through the average workload of nurses category in each of the seven sectors of a Diagnostic Imaging Center