Institutional-related Related Factors Associated with the Management Outcome of Patients Triaged During 48 Hours of Interventions at Accident and Emergency Department, Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Objective: The study sought to evaluate institutional-related factors associated with the management outcome of patients triaged during  48 hours of interventions at the accident and  emergency department, Kenyatta National Hospital.

Methodology: The study was a  crosssectional study involving the triaged and coded patients flagged by scores using the Triage Early Warning Score (TEWS) whereby  structured questionnaires were used as well as an observation checklist. The study site was accident and emergency department,  Kenyatta National Hospital. The target population were all coded patients in the accident and emergency unit, a sample of 385 patients  were used during this study, data collection was through structured questionnaires and checklist to assess the healthcare provider and  institutional-related factors. A pilot study was done at Kakamega County Referral Hospital. Data analysis was done using Statistical  Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25, descriptive and inferential statistics were used to test the associated factors in relation to  the outcomes. The odds ratio was used to test the strength between the provider and health facility factors associated with the management outcome of triaged and coded patients, and a one-way analysis of variance was used to the differences in mean scores in  the institutional and provider factors. Data was presented in tables and bar graphs.

Findings: The study results indicated that there was a positive and significant relationship between institutional-related factors and management outcomes of triaged patients. This is depicted  by a Pearson correlation coefficient r=0.452 pvalue =0.008< 0.05 which was significant at a 0.05 level of significance. This implies that improved institutional-related factors result in an increase in the management outcome of triaged patients.

Conclusion and  Recommendations: It's therefore important to note that institutional-related factors have an impact on the outcome of triaged and coded  patients in the accident and emergency department, at Kenyatta National Hospital. Thus it's important for the institution to invest  in human resource capacity, procurement of equipment and drugs to be used as well as improve on infrastructure.