CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
A patient is any recipient of health care services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse or other health care providers.1 He is also ignorant and even apprehensive of the medical investigations and procedures necessary to get him better and so offer a rather little or no assistance to the treatment process. His attitude is affected by the rather strange hospital environment. He is unaware of the medical environment and may not know what to do to improve the diagnosis. He may therefore be afraid of not only the diagnostic procedures but also of the diagnostic facilities. Therefore, the patient needs reassurance2 and a professional guidance through the diagnostic procedures.
Attitude, as a psychological concept, is defined as an enduring system of positive or negative evaluation, emotional feelings, and pro or con action tendencies with respect to social object (of which a patient is a good example). Attitude is therefore made up of three parts: emotion, belief and behavior. Patients’ attitude therefore, is an indication of his evaluation, emotional feelings and reaction towards the hospital environment in general and radiology department in particular. Several factors, including patients’ level of awareness and education influence his attitude. Every accessory in the radiology department may appear contaminated in the eye of the uninformed patient. Therefore, to gain the patient’s confidence, adequate communication is vital.3
The radiology changing room is provided very close to the radiology (x-ray, mammography, CT etc) examination room. It is meant to help the patient, (irrespective of his/her level of knowledge of the diagnostic procedures) prepare adequately for the x-ray exams. This preparation is in the area of ensuring that the patient is dressed in a wear (changing gown) that will ensure that the x-ray examination is carried out without any clothing or other patient’s items interfering with the result of diagnosis. A well-lit and ventilated cubicles is required for each x-ray machine. A mirror, clothes hooks, changing gown and a bench are also provided for each changing room or changing cubicle. A larger sized dressing room may also be provided for the convenience of patients on a wheel chair. Each room should have curtains instead of a door. A toilet facilities may also be provided11.
Assessment of the attitude of patients towards the use of these changing rooms and its facilities is the aim of this research. Assessment is the process of gathering and reflecting on evidence to make informed and consistent judgements to improve the understanding of a situation , which in this case is the attitude of patients towards the use of changing room and its items. This assessment will be carried out using these public (UNTH, & NOHE) and private (MEMPHY’S HOSP& NIGER FOUND.) hospitals in Enugu state as case studies