ATIENTS’ WAITING TIME AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SERVICES IN UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT TEACHING HOSPITAL (UPTH), RIVERS STATE
Abstract
The study investigated the influence of patients waiting time and its consequences to quality health care delivery in University of Port Harcourt teaching Hospital (UPTH), Rivers State. Four (4) specific objectives and research questions guided the study which adopted a descriptive research survey as its working design. The data were collected through questionnaire and analyzed with the aid of frequency tables and percentage. The findings revealed that55% of the respondents accepted that patients do waste time before been attended to in the hospital, 58% of the respondents revealed that the Hospital does not observes first come, first serve policy,, 65% also agreed that the Hospital have required man power as such does not keep patients inwaiting,57%disagreedthattheHospitalhaveallthenecessaryworkingfacilitiesandconducive environment which help to reduce patients waiting timeand 61% disagreed that the healthcare providers go regular training which help them to perform their duties effectively thereby reducing waiting time of patients in the hospital.Shortage of health care providers(77%), lack of required medical facilities(85%), poor filing system and searching of cards and folders(83%), poorreferralsystemandpatientregistration(79%),lackoftrainingofofficerswhoareincharge of waiting time(96%), inaccuracy of waiting time(90%)were some of the factors responsible for prolong patients waiting time in the hospital
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