Poor health care delivery in rural communities is a major problem facing the health sector in Namibia. Patients who visit rural communities often wait on queues for several hours every day before they can be examined by a medical practitioner. This is detrimental to the health care process and impacts negatively on the efficiency and effectiveness of the sector. Mobile phones can however be employed as tools to improve work processes in such hospitals and as a result improve health care delivery in rural communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the health care services provided to patients at Outpatient Departments (OPDs) in rural hospitals through the use of data collection instruments such as interviews, questionnaires, document analysis, expert validation and photographs in order to compile a Mobile Health Service Framework (MHSF) to improve healthcare delivery processes in OPDs. From an interpretive paradigm perspective, the qualitative design was used together with a case study approach. Three hospitals in rural communities were used as case studies. These were Okuryangava Hospital, Katutura Hospital and Khomasdal Hospital. Interviews were conducted and questionnaires distributed to the participants. The findings revealed that there is a high concentration of mobile phone usage in rural communities and there is a high usage of the SMS feature on such mobile phones. / Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

Poor health care delivery in rural communities is a major problem facing the health sector in Namibia. Patients who visit rural communities often wait on queues for several hours every day before they can be examined by a medical practitioner. This is detrimental to the health care process and impacts negatively on the efficiency and effectiveness of the sector. Mobile phones can however be employed as tools to improve work processes in such hospitals and as a result improve health care delivery in rural communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the health care services provided to patients at Outpatient Departments (OPDs) in rural hospitals through the use of data collection instruments such as interviews, questionnaires, document analysis, expert validation and photographs in order to compile a Mobile Health Service Framework (MHSF) to improve healthcare delivery processes in OPDs. From an interpretive paradigm perspective, the qualitative design was used together with a case study approach. Three hospitals in rural communities were used as case studies. These were Okuryangava Hospital, Katutura Hospital and Khomasdal Hospital. Interviews were conducted and questionnaires distributed to the participants. The findings revealed that there is a high concentration of mobile phone usage in rural communities and there is a high usage of the SMS feature on such mobile phones. / Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

The purpose of this study was to describe the factors that determine the utilisation of VIA, and to investigate the socio-economic status of women who undergone VIA. A retrospective document analysis of 323 clinical records was conducted at a specific rural hospital in Zimbabwe. A retrospective, cross-sectional, non-experimental, descriptive, analysis of clinical records was conducted using a checklist to extract data from the records of women who have undergone VIA for cervical screening at the specific rural hospital. The results revealed that 70% (N=225) were from outside the catchment area, 73% (N=234) were poor, 54% (N=173) were of high parity, 85% (N=275) were ill with conditions that included lower back and abdominal pains, excessive vaginal discharge and vaginal bleeding after intercourse. The study further revealed that 72% (N=226) had no prior cervical cancer screening and 87% (N=277) were screened by chance. The conclusion drawn was that socio-economic and logistical constraints hinder cervical cancer screening among rural women. It is recommended that VIA screening and health education on cervical cancer be offered to all women visiting healthcare facilities. Furthermore, the government should consider funding in order to prioritise women’s health issues. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

PHDRDV / Institute for Rural Development / Institute for Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation