Assessment of medical equipment utilization and Associated factors in hospitals of tigray region, northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Provision of medical equipment plays a very significant role in the health care delivery system. All over the world, particularly developing countries have difficulty of managing the delivery of health care under limited resource conditions, as medical equipments are very expensive. Like all developing countries in Ethiopia, lack of proper utilization of medical equipment has limited the capacity of health facilities to provide adequate health care. The main objective of this study was therefore to assess the utilization of medical equipment and to identify the reasons that affect the use of medical equipment in hospitals of Tigray region, northern Ethiopia. Objective: This study was conducted to assess the utilization of medical equipment and the contributing factors in selected hospitals of Tigray regional state, northern part of Ethiopia. Methods and material: -Health facility based descriptive cross-sectional study and multi case study designs were employed for quantitative and qualitative methods respectively to assess the utilization of medical equipment in selected hospitals of Tigray regional state from March 1, 2019 to April30, 2019. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize the data. Logistic regression analysis and chi-square tests were used to identify factors associated with medical equipment utilization. For the analysis of qualitative data, the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Results: Six selected public hospitals were included. This study showed that 60.2 % of the medical equipment was currently in use. The significant associated factors for the medical equipment utilization were the condition of medical equipment during the delivered time (adjusted odds ratio (AOR):3.87, 95% CI:1.406–10.645), lack of local expert to operate and maintain (AOR: 2., 95%CI: 1.358–3.248), facility infrastructure power supply associate problem (AOR:0.599, 95%CI: 0.366–0.979), lack of regular and responsible monitoring to the equipment (AOR: 0.599, 95%CI: 0.366–0.979). Conclusion and Recommendations: About 40% of the medical equipment were found out of service. The significant factors affecting the utilization the medical equipment were the absence of skilled professionals, condition of the medical equipment during the delivery time, power supply associated problems, and lack of regular monitoring of the medical equipment. Hence, all concerned stakeholders including the medical equipment management of the hospital, pharmaceutical supply and fund agency, Regional Health bureau, and Minister of Health should work together to make better use of the medical equipment through enhancing the medical equipment procurement and donation policy procedures, strengthen facility infrastructure, training local experts, and providing regular and responsible monitoring.