BackgroundPatient-based assessment of health services is becoming popular in measuring the standard of care. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are available. Patient satisfaction surveys are commonly used to record the experiences of patients in hospitals, whereas qualitative designs (e.g., interviews and focus group discussions) are used less frequently. To date, there has been no systematic review published devoted to patient satisfaction with health services in Nigeria. We aim to (1) systematically analyze relevant quantitative studies to pinpoint excellent procedures in measuring patient satisfaction with health services, (2) to investigate if a reference method (gold standard method) exists, and (3) to identify relevant topics which are recognized by patients as important for the delivery of a high-quality health service in Nigeria.MethodsSearches of eight electronic journal databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AJOL, CDSR, DARE, and HTA will be conducted to identify studies assessing patient satisfaction with health services in Nigeria. The searches will be supported by manual searches in reference lists of relevant primary studies and systematic reviews. The review will be limited to studies published since 2007. After a stepwise screening process by two reviewers, data from included studies will be extracted and reviewed. The COSMIN RoB checklist will be used to critically appraise included studies. We will carry out an extensive data synthesis to answer the review questions.DiscussionThe intended systematic review will provide information on how the satisfaction of patients with health services has earlier been described and assessed in Nigerian studies. It will establish if a gold standard method exists and synthesize information on topics which might be of special interest to patients. Review findings will enrich the debate on patient-centered care and overall performance of health quality standards in Nigeria.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42018108140

Objective: Zika virus infection is fast becoming a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries of the world because of its association with microcephaly and Guillain Barre Syndrome. Assessment of its knowledge and understanding among different healthcare practitioners are essential for prevention and control especially in developing countries such as Nigeria. Our aim was to assess the knowledge of the virus and its associated factors among healthcare professionals (HCPs). Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 10 to August 28, 2016, among health care professionals who were selected by nonprobability convenience sampling technique. The respondents were selected from various practice settings including academic institution, private and government hospitals in Enugu State, Nigeria. A validated and pilot tested 15 item questionnaire was used to evaluate respondents' knowledge of ZIKV infection. Descriptive statistics and chi-square were used to analyze respondents' level of knowledge and its associated factors using SPSS version 16. Results:Two hundred (200) respondents participated in this study with more than half (53.0%) being male, and most were either Physician or Pharmacist (59.5%). Our results also showed that most of the respondents (128, 64.0%) had poor knowledge of ZIKV infection. However, among the respondents assessed, the Pharmacists and the Physicians had better knowledge of the disease as the test statistics were statistically significant at X 2 =16.722, p=0.033. HCPs in the academia had better knowledge compared to those that are self-employed or practicing in private or government hospitals (X 2 =17.178, p=0.028). Conclusion:Our findings suggest that most of the HCPs assessed in this study had poor knowledge of ZIKV infection. However, professional status, place of service, and study site were found to be associated with the respondents' level of knowledge. Hence, through sensitization and awareness campaigns through the media, seminars, and workshops aimed at educating HCPs on the disease should be encouraged.

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Globally, cancer is one of the deadliest diseases, needing a meticulous diagnosis and targeted treatment plan to achieve an initial prognosis, followed by precision and optimization in treatment. Nonselective targeting, difficulty in accurately monitoring treatment end-results, serious drug side-effects, and severity of disease resulting in metastasis are the key flaws of traditional techniques. Nanotechnology and nanoparticles possess special features to completely transform the field of diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A holistic strategy that employs a dual function of diagnosis and therapy while utilizing a nanocarrier is referred to as a nanotheranostic. The nanotheranostic framework was created to surmount a variety of biological and physiological obstacles, effectively delivering the cargo to the intended target location, while simultaneously facilitating therapeutic intervention, surveillance, and validation to demonstrate improved treatment effectiveness. As a result, a nanotheranostic platform can be useful for targeted drug delivery, release, and distribution assessment, in addition to patient classification and survival. Nanotheranostic techniques also lead to reduced drug side-effects compared with conventional therapies. In this review, we outline current studies on nanotheranostics and their advantages over conventional treatment strategies, the applications and challenges/limitations of nanotheranostics, and the mechanisms of targeting in breast and prostate cancers.