Master of Public Health - MPH / Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most infectious diseases globally and is a huge public health concern. In 2016, the Western Cape Province had the fourth highest incidence of TB in South Africa, with 728 new cases per 100 000 population. Effective management of TB includes screening, diagnosis, treatment, control and elimination. The local health authority (municipality) has historically managed tuberculosis in the Cape Metropole but due to the increased TB burden, primary health care (PHC) facilities managed by Metro Health Services (MHS) (provincial government) have recently commenced providing TB services. The challenge that the Cape Metropole is facing, is whether the clinicians in MHS facilities are equipped to manage these patients effectively. Aim: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practices of clinicians in the screening, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in the MHS PHC facilities in the Northern Tygerberg Sub-structure, Cape Town between mid-March 2018 and mid- June 2018.

This study explores the perceptions of health care workers regarding men’s participation in HIV programmes with the objective of identifying factors that may facilitate or hinder the participation of men in such programmes. A sub aim was to explore how perceptions regarding the effects of different constructions of masculinity may be implicated in the ways men respond to HIV programmes. The study was conducted with permission from HIV/AIDS clinics: Thembalethu clinic in the Helen Joseph Hospital, Tshwarisanang couples’ VCT clinic at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital and two Johannesburg University campus clinics. Data was collected using a purposive sample of 8 health care workers. Each participant took part in one-on-one semi-structured interviews, which yielded the results of this study. The data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The results showed that a majority of the health care workers perceived men to be nonparticipatory in HIV programmes. They perceived barriers to men’s participation to be men’s varied perception of fear knowing their HIV status, fear of dying and fear of the emotional consequences of testing positive such as anger and depression. Men also see counselling as a sign of weakness and as a result, they do not participate in HIV programmes. In conclusion, health care workers identified the need to develop new strategies and best suited programmes that promote HIV testing amongst men.

<p>The aim with the literature study was to describe how persons with dementia and health care workers in the geriatric care experiences soft massage and to describe the derived effects for persons with dementia. Scientific articles were sampled from the databases: Medline (Pub Med), Cinahl and Psyc INFO. The main results of the study are presented in three parts: how persons with dementia experiences soft massage, health care workers experiences of giving soft massage and the health care workers descriptions on derived effects on persons with dementia. The results showed that persons with dementia experienced a positive reaction to soft massage and the health care workers did no longer feel helpless in their care service towards persons with dementia. The studies showed that soft massage decreased agitation, wandering, pain and sleeplessness. Not all persons with dementia was receptive to soft massage, therefore an ethical awareness was required by the health care workers.</p>

The aim with the literature study was to describe how persons with dementia and health care workers in the geriatric care experiences soft massage and to describe the derived effects for persons with dementia. Scientific articles were sampled from the databases: Medline (Pub Med), Cinahl and Psyc INFO. The main results of the study are presented in three parts: how persons with dementia experiences soft massage, health care workers experiences of giving soft massage and the health care workers descriptions on derived effects on persons with dementia. The results showed that persons with dementia experienced a positive reaction to soft massage and the health care workers did no longer feel helpless in their care service towards persons with dementia. The studies showed that soft massage decreased agitation, wandering, pain and sleeplessness. Not all persons with dementia was receptive to soft massage, therefore an ethical awareness was required by the health care workers.

No description available.

Diagnosis with a serious chronic illness is a powerful lived experience that touches all aspects of the individual’s life and which necessitates great adaptation across the lifespan. Ambiguity is a lived dimension of illness that is often expressed in illness stories, capturing the new state between health and illness which has also been described as a ‘liminal’ or in-between state of being (Little, Jordens, Paul, Montgomery & Philipson, 1998). Health care providers hold socially prescribed roles in which they are expected to be professionally competent and immune to personal illness. The lived experiences of health care providers who have been diagnosed with serious chronic illness were explored in this study to better attempt to describe the phenomenon. Six health care providers from various professional backgrounds participated in the research. A semi-structured interview guided the conversation between the researcher and the participant. The participants were encouraged to tell the story of what has happened to them and to reflect on the impact to their lives and practice. Participants were also asked to reflect on their perceived level of support and preparedness via their professional training, and to share any recommendations they might have for others going through this experience. The data gathered were found to be rich in both depth and detail. The data were analyzed using van Manen’s interpretive phenomenological method. Significant statements created formulated meanings or categories, which became organized around eight themes. The themes formed several clusters. The theme clusters were then developed into a recognizable pattern of sub-themes which helped to further 7 describe the essence of the experience of health care providers living with serious, chronic illness. The findings of the research were found to be consistent with the literature that describes the lived experience of seriously ill health care providers as liminal in essence. Based on the research findings recommendations for social work practice, administration and policy, educational training reform and future research were outlined.

Syftet med föreliggande studie var att redogöra för hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalens följsamhet till hygienföreskrifter avseende handhygien och de faktorer som påverkar detta. Metod: Artiklar söktes via CINAHL, Pubmed och Scopus. Sökord som användes i olika kombinationer var: hand hygiene, adherence, hygiene guidelines, health care workers, compliance, hand disinfection, infection control, nursing, nurse och hand cleansing. Tretton vetenskapliga artiklar erhölls. Vidare gjordes en manuell sökning ifrån inkluderade artiklars referenslistor och genererade två artiklar som ingick i resultatet. Resultat: Resultatet visade att hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalens följsamhet till hygienföreskrifter avseende handhygien var låg. Vidare framkom av resultatet att det fanns sju kategorier av faktorer som påverkade följsamheten till hygienföreskrifterna. Dessa var: utbildning och kunskap, arbetsbelastning och tidsbrist, tillgänglighet, hudproblem och handskar. Slutsats: Följsamheten till hygienföreskrifter avseende handhygien är låg. Kontinuerlig utbildning i kombination med ökad tillgänglighet och minskad arbetsbelastning är de viktigaste förutsättningarna för att öka följsamheten till hygienföreskrifter gällande handhygien.

Diagnosis with a serious chronic illness is a powerful lived experience that touches all aspects of the individual’s life and which necessitates great adaptation across the lifespan. Ambiguity is a lived dimension of illness that is often expressed in illness stories, capturing the new state between health and illness which has also been described as a ‘liminal’ or in-between state of being (Little, Jordens, Paul, Montgomery & Philipson, 1998). Health care providers hold socially prescribed roles in which they are expected to be professionally competent and immune to personal illness. The lived experiences of health care providers who have been diagnosed with serious chronic illness were explored in this study to better attempt to describe the phenomenon. Six health care providers from various professional backgrounds participated in the research. A semi-structured interview guided the conversation between the researcher and the participant. The participants were encouraged to tell the story of what has happened to them and to reflect on the impact to their lives and practice. Participants were also asked to reflect on their perceived level of support and preparedness via their professional training, and to share any recommendations they might have for others going through this experience. The data gathered were found to be rich in both depth and detail. The data were analyzed using van Manen’s interpretive phenomenological method. Significant statements created formulated meanings or categories, which became organized around eight themes. The themes formed several clusters. The theme clusters were then developed into a recognizable pattern of sub-themes which helped to further 7 describe the essence of the experience of health care providers living with serious, chronic illness. The findings of the research were found to be consistent with the literature that describes the lived experience of seriously ill health care providers as liminal in essence. Based on the research findings recommendations for social work practice, administration and policy, educational training reform and future research were outlined.

Following the availability of antiretrovirals (ARVs) for the treatment of HIV in the public sector from 2004 to 2008, thousands of multidisciplinary health care workers were trained by RHRU on HIV care and ARVs on behalf of the South African Department of Health. To ascertain if, and to what extent, transfer of learning had occurred, a case study approach was used involving a sample of seventy alumni. Data was collected via questionnaire, interview and observation tools. Data collected suggests that transfer of learning took place at some level for most alumni but was weakest with non clinical staff in ARV sites and ward based staff, many of whom did not feel that they treated HIV patients. The study concludes that the ‘one size fits all’ approach preferred by the Department of Health did not support effective transfer of learning for all alumni mainly due to the subsequent inappropriate training design for many participants and the impact of this on motivation and connection to a less enabling transfer climate. To optimize the possibility of transfer, therefore, HIV training should be specifically designed for the learning needs of each cadre of health care worker with clear expected changes to practice for participants, linked to supporting transfer environments post training.

<p> The purpose of this paper is to examine how lay perceptions of risk influence individual behaviour. The study focuses on health care practitioners who are daily exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation. By using qualitative research methods, the goal was to understand how individuals attach meaning to the environment they work in, when there is a risk involved. It points out that people must go through a risk assessing procedure, in order· to be able to deal with the daily risks to their health. People will develop different mechanism to cope with this daily risk. A model of risk perception was developed from this qualitative data. It is hoped that this model will contribute to the existing literature on risk perception models. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)