Browsing by Author "Lugu, B.K."
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study of Barriers to Effective Therapeutic Communication among Nurses and Patients(International Journal of Public Administration, 2020-02-28) Hammond, A.; Arkorful, V.E.; Basiru, I.; Boateng, J.; Doku, F.; Pokuaah, S.; Agyei, E.K.; Baoteng, J.A.; Lugu, B.K.Effective communication between patients and nurses is cardinal to health care The study seeks to explore barriers to effective therapeutic communication between patients and nurses in randomly selected health facilities in the Kumasi metropolis, Ashanti region, Ghana. The study employed an exploratory study to interview 60 respondents comprising 30 nurses and patients each, using an unstructured interview guide. In addition to nurses' and patients'perceived barriers, the study revealed the health environment–related barriers. Patients-related barriers include individual sociodemographic attributes, patient–nurse relationship, erroneous impression, and language barrier. Other identified nurses-related barriers include human resource challenges, patients' distrust in nurses’ competency, interference from patients’ relations, inadequate knowledge, patient’s dissatisfaction with output, patients’ emotional fluctuations. Health environment– related barriers also include excessive workload, unconducive environment, and environmental changes. Given the relevance of therapeutic communication to health service, the study, among other things recommends that efforts be exerted by sector actors to address the challenges and help promote quality in health-care service and delivery.Item Decentralization and Citizens’ Participation in Local Governance: Does Trust and Transparency Matter? – An Empirical Study(Taylor & Francis Group, 2021) Arkorful, V.E.; Lugu, B.K.; Hammond, A.; Basiru, I.The wind of change that swept across the African continent and other developing countries ensuingly engendered the need to institute measures that would bring government to the people’s doorstep. This led to the prioritization and touting of decentralization. Against the backdrop of the proximate reason to accelerate public access to government, the express expectation was that a germane space would be created to enhance participation. However, the validity of this postulation is yet to be realized. The study, therefore, set out to examine the relationship between decentralization and people’s participation, with the mediating role of trust and transparency. Results of data analysis (561 respondents), using the structural equation modelling technique, established not only the appropriateness of the proposed study model, but also, the imperativeness of the trust and transparency to decentralization and participation. The implications of the study are delineated for effective policy and practice.Item Examining Quality, Value, Satisfaction and Trust Dimensions: An Empirical Lens to Understand Health Insurance Systems Actual Usage(Public Organization Review, 2021) Arkorful, V.E.; Lugu, B.K.; Hammond, A.Health insurance policies have become key social policy interventions incepted to extend healthcare to vulnerable populations. In this vein, Ghana devised a health insurance scheme in the year 2003. However, there have been concerns about quality, value, satisfaction and trust regarding healthcare and insurance usage. Using data drawn from 345 participants, our study investigates these dimensions to empirically test their predictive effects on the actual usage of health insurance. Data analysis results using the Structural Equation Modelling technique confirmed these dimensions as predictors of intention and actual usage. Our study delineates the practical, theoretical and policy implications of the study findings.Item Investigating the intention to use technology among medical students: An application of an extended model of the theory of planned behavior(Journal of Public Affairs, 2020) Arkorful, V.E.; Hammond, A.; Lugu, B.K.; et al.Though the integration of technology into the health sector has been touted as one of the conduits for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in health and service delivery, research reports of not only a slow pace of adoption but also medical practitioners's negative tendency regarding technology adoption. Considering that medical students are likely to constitute the future work force to use technology to enhance accuracy in medical decisions; their intention to use technology constitutes a crucial factor for guiding the implementation of technology-based initiatives in healthcare settings. By integrating descriptive norm, the study seeks to extend the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate correlates of prospective users' behavioral characteristics relative to technology adoption. A field survey is conducted with 322 medical students from different medical schools undertaking mandatory clinicals in health facilities in Ghana. The structural equation modeling analysis of collected data revealed that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and descriptive norm, all have significant positive relationship with student's technology adoption intention. The results of data analysis further revealed that the core TPB constructs contributed 26% of the variance in technology adoption intention, while the extended variable contributed to increasing the explanation of variance in students's adoption intention to 33%. Hence, the inclusion of descriptive norm increased the explained variance by 7% (ΔR2 = 7%, p < .001). The results confirm the predictive potential and appropriateness of the TPB model. Arising from the empirical results, study implications are discussed.Item Voter's choice of a presidential candidate: An empirical study(Journal of Public Affairs, 2020) Arkorful, V.E.; Hammond, A.; Lugu, B.K.; et al.Since the consolidation of democracy and the inception of reforms thereof in Ghana, one raging subject matter that has over time come under intense scrutiny and, consequently, altogether eminently preoccupied the attention of political scientists, pollsters, marketers and strategists in particular, has been one bordering on voter's behavior. Understanding voter's behavior is crucially indispensable to reshaping the democratic process and devising political strategies. In spite of this, there is, however, a paucity of research focus targeted at unraveling the distinct behavior patterns and underpinnings relative to voters' choices. Against this backdrop, the main idea of this research is to explore the antecedents of voters' choice. The theory of consumer behavior has been used as the theoretical framework. Using the survey approach, data was elicited from card-bearing registered voters and analyzed with the aid of the structural equation modeling technique. results of data (n = 363) analysis revealed a confluence of voters' choice antecedents anchored on quality, trust, attractiveness, expertise and image. Based on the results, study implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are subsequently delineated.