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Neurosurgery project

Questionnaire

Completion requirements

ACCESS AND USE OF NEUROSURGICAL HEALTHCARE IN MALAWI

INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPANTS

Dear Participants,
We sincerely invite you to participate in the following survey. The participation is voluntary. To help you to understand what this study is about and what you can expect if you participate, we have compiled most important information in this page.

Your participation is important!
It is important that as many of the invited participants as possible take part in order to receive meaningful data for the neurosurgical health care in Malawi. Our goal is to collect data from as many Medical Doctors/Clinical Officers/Health Assistants from all health sectors and all regions of Malawi as possible, in order to achieve a high degree of representativeness.

Who is conducting the study?
The study is being conducted through a cooperation of the Department of Neurosurgery of Ulm University Hospital in Ulm, Germany and the Blantyre Institute of Neurological Sciences at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas Kapapa Department of  Neurosurgery, Ulm University Hospital.

Why is this study conducted and what is the purpose of the data collected?

The primary goal of the study is to generate a factual basis on the number of patients requiring neurosurgical care and the nature and severity of neurosurgical diseases in Malawi, which could serve strategic orientations, potential studies and humanitarian projects in the future.                                                        

Lack of information on the neurosurgical care needs in Malawi represents a fundamental weakness in improving access to neurosurgical services. Medical and health economic planning for the future must be based on real needs. There is no precise data available yet on the number potential neurosurgical patients who do not receive adequate neurosurgical care in Malawi. The reasons for the lack of care will also be examined in more detail on the basis of this study.


Who can participate in this study?
Only those who are invited by us to take part in the study can register for participation. If you are a
Medical Doctor/ Clinical Officer/ Nurse / Clinical Officer / or another medical profession currently working in Malawi, you are more than welcome to participate.

What are the main topics?
The main question covered by this study is the number of potential neurosurgical patients in Malawi that may receive inadequate neurosurgical care in a given period of time. The reasons for the potential lack of care are also examined more closely on the basis of this study.
Some of the secondary questions consist of finding out which neurosurgical diseases are considered most urgent in Malawi, which age groups are particularly affected by neurosurgical diseases, how often are medical service providers for neurosurgical diseases called upon and how often is specialist are neurosurgical care provided.

Ethical Considerations:

The responsible ethics committee of Ulm University Hospital and the National Health Research Ethics Comittee of Malawi examined the study under ethical aspects and decided that no vote is required for this project, as the planned survey of medical staff is to be conducted completely anounymously and no personal patient data is to be collected.

Voluntariness:
You are participating in this research project voluntarily. You can revoke your consent at any time and without giving reasons, in which case all data collected up to that point for study purposes will be deleted and the corresponding samples will be destroyed.

Availability of study physician:
If any questions arise during the course of the research project, you may contact the following person:
Prof. Dr. Thomas Kapapa, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Ulm, Germany, under the following and Prof. Patrick Kamalo, Department of Neurosurgery, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi.

Confidentiality/Data protection:
All persons who supervise you in the course of this project are subject to the duty of confidentiality and are bound to data secrecy.
The study-related examination results are to be used in anonymous form in scientific publications.
As far as it is necessary to control the correct data collection, authorized persons (e.g.: of the client, of the university) are allowed to inspect the study-related parts of the medical record.

Unless persons authorized to inspect are subject to the above-mentioned medical confidentiality, personal data
of which they become aware during the inspection constitute trade secrets that must be kept secret.

The person responsible for data processing in this project is:

Prof.Dr.Thomas Kapapa, Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Ulm, Helmholtzstraße 16 89081 Ulm, Germany
Phone number: +49 171 3167 820

E-Mail: thomaskapapa@uniklinik-ulm.de

We realise that some participants practice in different places. Where you are requested to give information about the nature of your practice, can you please give information from your primary (main) place of practice.

It will take you approximately 20-30 minutes to conduct the survey!


General Information:

1. In which region are you working?

1. In which region are you working?

2. In which hospital system do you practice?

2. In which hospital system do you practice?

3. In which sector of health care do you practice?

3. In which sector of health care do you practice?

4. Which cadres do you belong to?

4. Which cadres do you belong to?

5. How many years of experience do you have as a medical doctor/clinical officer/nurse/medical assistant?

5. How many years of experience do you have as a medical doctor/clinical officer/nurse/medical assistant?

6. In which department do you work?

6. In which department do you work?

7. Have you specialized as a medical doctor specialist?

7. Have you specialized as a medical doctor specialist?

8. Thinking very generally about your satisfaction with your overall career in medicine, would you say that you are CURRENTLY?

8. Thinking very generally about your satisfaction with your overall career in medicine, would you say that you are CURRENTLY?

9. We have listed some of the factors that may have contributed to your current dissatisfaction with your overall career in medicine (only answer if this applies to you). Please tick all boxes that may apply to your current situation.

9. We have listed some of the factors that may have contributed to your current dissatisfaction with your overall career in medicine (only answer if this applies to you). Please tick all boxes that may apply to your current situation.

10. Thinking of your last complete week of work, approximately how many hours did you spend in all medically related activities? Please include all time spent in administrative tasks, professional activities, and direct patient care.

10. Thinking of your last complete week of work, approximately how many hours did you spend in all medically related activities? Please include all time spent in administrative tasks, professional activities, and direct patient care.

11. Again, thinking of your last complete week of work, how many patient visits did you personally have in each of the following settings? Please count as one visit each time you saw a patient.

11. Again, thinking of your last complete week of work, how many patient visits did you personally have in each of the following settings? Please count as one visit each time you saw a patient.

Primary, specialty and urgent care access at your main place of practice


12. What percentage of your patients get regularly scheduled routine check-ups as part of their primary care?

12. What percentage of your patients get regularly scheduled routine check-ups as part of their primary care?

13. How often do you schedule routine checkups on your patients on average?

13. How often do you schedule routine checkups on your patients on average?

14. How do patients normally book appointments at your clinic? (please X all boxes that apply)

14. How do patients normally book appointments at your clinic? (please X all boxes that apply)

15. How easy is it to get through to someone in your clinic on the phone?

15. How easy is it to get through to someone in your clinic on the phone?

16. If a patient needs to see you urgently, can they normally get seen on the same day?

16. If a patient needs to see you urgently, can they normally get seen on the same day?

17. How easy is it to schedule an appointment in your clinic?

17. How easy is it to schedule an appointment in your clinic?

18. How long do your patients usually wait for your consultation to start?

18. How long do your patients usually wait for your consultation to start?

19. How much time do you usually have for a patient?

19. How much time do you usually have for a patient?

Spatial access:


20. How long does it usually take for your patients to travel to your practice?

20. How long does it usually take for your patients to travel to your practice?

21. What distance do your patients travel to your practice on average?

21. What distance do your patients travel to your practice on average?

22. What transportation method do your patients usually use to get to your practice? (Multiple responses allowed)

22. What transportation method do your patients usually use to get to your practice? (Multiple responses allowed)

23. How long do your patients usually have to wait for their test results?

23. How long do your patients usually have to wait for their test results?

Communication access between visits:


24. How can your patients contact you outside of your appointments? (Please X all boxes that apply)

24. How can your patients contact you outside of your appointments? (Please X all boxes that apply)

25. How long do your patients usually have to wait for their test results?

25. How long do your patients usually have to wait for their test results?

Cultural access:


26. On a scale from 1-5, how would you rate your familiarity with your patient’s culture on average? (1 being not familiar at all, 5 being very familiar)

26. On a scale from 1-5, how would you rate your familiarity with your patient’s culture on average? (1 being not familiar at all, 5 being very familiar)

27. On a scale from 1-5, how often do you experience difficulties in understanding your patient’s language? (1 being very rarely, 5 being very often)

27. On a scale from 1-5, how often do you experience difficulties in understanding your patient’s language? (1 being very rarely, 5 being very often)

Longitudinal Continuity:


28. What percentage of your patients visits you on a regular basis as their “usual provider”?

28. What percentage of your patients visits you on a regular basis as their “usual provider”?

Relational Continuity:

29. What percentage of your patients would you say that you know as a person, rather than someone with a medical problem?

29. What percentage of your patients would you say that you know as a person, rather than someone with a medical problem?

Informational Continuity & Cross-boundary Coordination

30. Do you usually have access to your patients’ previous encounters, medical records and history?

30. Do you usually have access to your patients’ previous encounters, medical records and history?

31. If yes, please specify through what means.

31. If yes, please specify through what means.

Continuing Professional Development


32. As a health professional, when did you last learn something new about improving the care you give to your patients:

32. As a health professional, when did you last learn something new about improving the care you give to your patients:

33. What was your source of learning:

33. What was your source of learning:

34. If someone were to give you information related to care of patients, what would be your preferred mode of communication:

34. If someone were to give you information related to care of patients, what would be your preferred mode of communication:

35. What is your major limitation to accessing and using the local (Malawi) Medical Journal:

35. What is your major limitation to accessing and using the local (Malawi) Medical Journal:

Specific Neurosurgical Questions:

 


BRAIN AND SPINAL TUMORS:

36. Listed below are the most common symptoms you may experience in patients presenting with brain or spinal tumors. Please tick all symptoms you consider to be brain/spinal tumor symptoms. (multiple responses allowed):

36. Listed below are the most common symptoms you may experience in patients presenting with brain or spinal tumors. Please tick all symptoms you consider to be brain/spinal tumor symptoms. (multiple responses allowed):

37. Have you selected any of the possibilities?

37. Have you selected any of the possibilities?
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