A qualitative study to develop an instrument for initial nurse assessment.

Complex health care needs focus on accountability and necessity of inclusion of nurses in documenting and monitoring clinical care plans have brought in the concept of initial nurse assessment and nursing process. However, no standardized form exists in the Armed Forces Medical Services to document initial nursing observations while a patient is being admitted in service hospitals. A focus group design was utilized to explore and conceptualize an initial nurse assessment form that may be utilized by service hospitals.

A study of assessment of patient safety climate in tertiary care hospitals.

Background: Medical errors are being detected with increasing frequency in healthcare environment, in many cases leading to patient harm. Measurement and improvement of patient safety climate has been identified as a strategic effort towards addressing this vital issue.

Method: Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ), validated by previous research was administered to 300 respondents in three tertiary care hospitals of India, the respondents representing various categories of healthcare workers and variations in safety scale score was analyzed by various statistical tools.

Life cycle costing as a decision making tool for technology acquisition in radio-diagnosis.

Background: Life cycle costing analysis is an emerging conceptual tool to validate capital investment in healthcare.

Methods: A preliminary study was done to analyze the long-term cost impact of acquiring a new 3 T MRI system when compared to technological upgradation of the existing 1.5 T MRI system with a view to evolve a decision matrix for correct investment planning and technology management.

Activity based costing of diagnostic procedures at a nuclear medicine center of a tertiary care hospital.

Context: Escalating health care expenses pose a new challenge to the health care environment of becoming more cost-effective. There is an urgent need for more accurate data on the costs of health care procedures. Demographic changes, changing morbidity profile, and the rising impact of noncommunicable diseases are emphasizing the role of nuclear medicine (NM) in the future health care environment.

Patient satisfaction with services of the outpatient department.

Background: Patients' satisfaction is a useful measure to provide an indicator of quality in healthcare and thus needs to be measured frequently. The aim of the study was to analyse and compare the level of satisfaction of patients attending the Outpatient Department of a Hospital.

Methods: Study was conducted by using a pre-structured questionnaire with 120 samples.

A survey of attitude of frontline clinicians and nurses towards adverse events.

Background: It is often said that doctors are only human. However, technological wonders, apparent precision of diagnostic tests and scientific innovation have created an expectation of perfection from medical science. Patient safety and prevalence of adverse events on the hospital floor have become issues of serious concern for the healthcare environment.

Evaluation of service quality of hospital outpatient department services.

Background: It has become essential for hospital managers to understand and measure consumer perspectives and service quality gaps, so that any perceived gap in delivery of service is identified and suitably addressed. A study was conducted at a peripheral service hospital to ascertain any service gap between consumer expectations and perceptions in respect of the hospital outpatient department (OPD) services.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using SERVQUAL as the survey instrument, the instrument being validated for use in the hospital environment.

Inappropriate Use of Hospital Beds in a Tertiary Care Service Hospital.

Background: The cost of medical care is continuing to rise and cost containment measures need to focus on inappropriate hospitalization. Armed Forces Medical Services ensure universal access to its consumers but continuous increase in patient load is stretching the capability of service hospitals. The present study was undertaken to determine the rate of inappropriate hospitalization in a large tertiary care service hospital.

HOSTILITY PATTERN AMONG TERRITORIAL ARMY PERSONNEL.

A comparative study of hostility and direction of hostility was carried out on 26 Territorial Army personnel, 23 regular Army personnel, 23 patients with minor depression and 30 controls. No statistically significant difference in scores on any of the hostility subscales was found between the two groups of Army personnel and controls. The depressive group showed significantly high scores on self-criticism, guilt and total hostility as compared to the Territorial Army personnel.