Investigating the quality of referral and support systems between fixed clinics and district hospitals in area 3 of KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Health.
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Date
2010
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Abstract
Introduction A well-functioning primary health care system depends on all three levels of healthcare, that is, the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care. District hospitals have a major role to play in the development of a strong referral system. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether the primary health care clinics in Area 3 possess all the key essential components for a strong referral system. Area 3 comprises 3 districts in northern KwaZulu-Natal, i.e. the Umkhanyakude, Uthungulu and Zululand districts. Aim The aim of the study was to evaluate referral support systems between fixed clinics and district hospitals in the three districts of Area 3 in KwaZulu-Natal province. Methods A descriptive study was undertaken in 58 randomly selected clinics in Area 3. Data was collected between July and August 2007, on availability of: communication technology, transport for patients being referred to the district hospital, and guidelines. Referral letters were reviewed to determine if they contained adequate information. Professional nurses were interviewed to determine the training they had attended. Results A third (34%) of clinic nurses on duty had been trained in Primary Health Care; 57% of clinics had at least one professional nurse on duty with a PHC diploma. The proportion of nurses trained in short courses ranged between 4% and 47%. Fifty-six out of fifty-eight (97%) of clinics had telephones; 57% reported problems with telephones. Eighty-eight out of one hundred and seven (88%) of selected referral letters did not have adequate information. Only 32% of urgently referred patients were collected by an ambulance within 1 hour. All 58 clinics had the Essential Drug List (EDL) available; availability of the other guidelines ranged between 29% and 79%. Discussion The percentage of clinic nurses with a PHC diploma or trained on short courses indicates that most clinic nurses render health services without or with inadequate knowledge and skills. Poor quality of referral letters and inefficient transportation of referred patients, especially emergencies, confirm a weak referral support system. User perceptions of the referral system have not been explored. Recommendations Training and support of clinic nurses needs to be prioritised to improve patient assessment and management, as well as the quality of referral letters. District management should advocate for improvement of patient transportation. Future studies should explore the use of referral letters by and training of, clinic nurses; as well as determine user perceptions.
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Thesis (MMed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.
Keywords
Community health services--KwaZulu-Natal., Primary health care--KwaZulu-Natal., Theses--Public health medicine.