title: Illness and efficiency of health services delivery in a district hospital.
abstract: Demographic data, medical problems and diagnosis, and efficiency of laboratory investigations and drug administration were evaluated in all patients admitted to an adult medical ward over a one month period at a district hospital in Kenya. The results show that the medical ward serves a poor, cosmopolitan population in the economically productive age range. Mental disorders (16%), symptoms and ill-defined conditions (16%), and infective and parasitic disease (15%) were the most common diagnoses. Out of 999 orders and/or results, 357 were delayed, interrupted, never done, or never received. Factors that affect medical education and efficiency of health services delivery at a district hospital are identified and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Einterz
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data