Background Emergency medical services (EMS) are services that provide out-of-hospital emergency medical care to injured or ill peoples, and transporting to definitive care. EMS is an integral part of the emergency medical system and has been associated with decreased morbidity and mortality related to emergency cases. The aim of this study was to assess the utilization, barriers, and determinants of EMS in Mekelle, Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in selected sub-cities of Mekelle. A multistage sampling method was employed to recruit study participants, and data were collected by trained data collectors using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the statistical association of the determinants of EMS utilization. Results Half (50.5%) of the respondents had experienced or witnessed an emergency incident in the past year. The common means of transportations used were Bajaj’s (39.2%) and ambulances (22.7%). Majority (88.1%) of the respondents did not knew the EMS access phone number of an ambulance. As their preferred mode of transportation in case of emergency conditions, 42.2% of the participants reported an ambulance, followed by Bajaj 33.7%. Where participants who had gynecologic emergencies were 9.4 times (AOR=9.4, 95% CI: 1.04, 85, p=0.046), and those who knew any ambulance numbers were 3.6 times (AOR=3.6, 95% CI: 1.22, 10.8, p=0.02) more likely to use ambulance services in case of emergencies. Conclusion The ambulance utilization level in Mekelle city was low and victims of emergency conditions were being transported mainly using public transports such as Bajaj’s and taxis. Even though the perception of the public towards EMS services is favorable, lack of awareness of EMS access, and lack of integrated EMS system in the city are the barriers that may have contributed to the low utilization. Actions to improve EMS access and integrating the system are warranted to promote the services utilization.

Background The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing steadily at an alarming rate. Ethiopia is placed fourth among the top five countries of the African region members of the international diabetes federation. This study aimed to determine the level of diabetes self-care practice and associated factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending public hospitals of the Tigray region. Methods An institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in six selected hospitals of Tigray region from January to February 2020. Study participants were recruited using a systematic random sampling method. Diabetes self-care practice was assessed using Summary Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) assessment tool. The data were collected by trained nurses via face-to-face interview. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with self-care practices. Statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05. Results A total of 570 patients with type 2 diabetes were included in this study. The mean (SD) age of the participant was 46 (±14.6) years. Less than half (46.7%) of the participants had good diabetes self-care practices. Surprisingly, only 68 (11.9%) of the participants had access to a personal glucometer. Urban residency (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.20–2.94), age group 48–63 years (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.19–3.98), not having a formal education (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.32–5.25), having family support (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.24–2.85), and having a personal glucometer at home (AOR = 6.1, 95% CI = 2.83–13.0) were the factors associated with good diabetes self-care practices. Conclusion The diabetes self-care practice in the region was found to be poor. Where factors like, being an urban resident, age group between 49–63 years, not having a formal education, and having a personal glucometer at home were associated with good self-care practices. Health care providers might have to consider actions to act on the identified factors and improve the level of self-care practices of the patients.

Background As the healthcare industry shifts toward patient-centered models, providers will need to fully understand patient satisfaction and how they affect their practices. This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction towards the emergency medical care and factors associated with at Ayder specialized comprehensive hospital, Emergency room, Mekelle, Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1–30, 2019. A systematic random sampling method was used to enroll 299 study participants. Data were collected using a standard Brief Emergency Department Patient Satisfaction Scale questionnaire by trained data collectors. Data was entered into EpiData 3.1 then exported and analyzed by SPSS version 22. Binary and multiple logistic regression were used to assess the factors associated with patient satisfaction. Where the p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results A total of 299 participants were enrolled in the study with a response rate of 99.3%. On overall patient satisfaction score majority (81.9%) of them were satisfied with the emergency medical care provided. The satisfaction rate towards emergency staff courtesy, emergency room environment, physician care satisfaction, general patient satisfaction, and patient family satisfaction was 80.3%, 37.5%, 75.9%, 70.9%, and 49.8% respectively. Those who arrived during the morning time of the day tend to be satisfied more with the emergency services (AOR = 4.8, 95% CI: 2.08, 11.4), while having low educational status (able to read and write) (AOR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.50) and waiting time till seen by a doctor (AOR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.003, 1.4) was found to affect patient satisfaction negatively. Conclusions The total patient satisfaction score towards emergency medical care was found to be good. The hospital management and emergency room staff should act on the identified factors especially on minimizing the patients waiting time to improve the quality of care in the emergency department.

IntroductionHospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are public health problems of global concern and are notably prevalent in developing countries. The prevalence of HAI and its associated factors are not well described in the context of Ethiopia. Currently, the nationwide prevalence of HAI and its corresponding associated factors have not been formally reported in Ethiopia. This review will provide an estimate of the prevalence of HAI and its associated factors.MethodsScholarly articles will be selected from the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane library, Hinary, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. Articles within the timeline of January 2000 to December 2020 will be included for review. Observational studies, randomised trials, surveys, surveillance reports, published and grey literature that reported the prevalence of HAI or factors associated with HAI reported as OR (95% CI) with no language restriction will be included in the analysis. Screening and selection of articles will be done using web-based Covidence software. The article’s quality and risk of bias will be critically appraised using Johanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklist. Random effects model using the inverse variance method will be conducted to estimate the prevalence of HAI. To examine heterogeneity, the Q statistics and I2 statistics will be conducted. Publication bias will be investigated using Begg’s correlation method and Egger’s weighted regression test. All analyses will be performed with STATA (V.14) software.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for meta-analysis reviews as participants are not included. The review will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Background: As assessing client’s experience are important guide towards services improvement, providers will need to fully understand patient satisfaction level and their determinants. This study was aimed to assess the level of satisfaction towards the emergency medical care and associated factors at emergency department of Ayder specialized comprehensive hospital, Mekelle, Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1–30, 2019. Systematic random sampling method was used to enroll study participants. Data was collected using a standard Brief Emergency Department Patient Satisfaction Scale questionnaire by trained data collectors. Data was entered into EpiData 3.1 then exported and analyzed by SPSS version 22. Binary and multiple logistic regression was used to assess the predictor’s patient satisfaction.Results: A total of 299 participants were enrolled in the study with a response rate of 99.3%. The overall client’s satisfaction was 81.9%. The lowest satisfaction rate was reported towards emergency room environment, and patient family satisfaction 37.5%, and 49.8% respectively. Educational status those who were able to read and write (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.4, 10, P = 0.008), those who arrived during the morning shift of the day (AOR = 3.6, 95% CI: 1.6, 8.7, p = 0.002), those who waited < 15 minutes to be seen by a doctor (AOR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.003, 1.4), having felt discriminated (AOR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.003, 1.4) were significantly associated determinants of client satisfaction.Conclusions: The overall client’s satisfaction in this study was found to be good. There is a low satisfaction towards emergency room environment and patient’s family courtesy. It is important to readjust emergency room services to improve client’s courtesy, avoid feeling of discrimination by clients and overall to improve the quality of care in the emergency department.