Health Talk

Topic:

Osteoarthritis and Exercise prescription

Background:



Reasons for choosing this Topic:

It has become clear to us during our community outreach visits that there are numerous patients who have osteoarthritis and are not being managed appropriately. Most of the patients that we have treated do not know that they have osteoarthritis and have no idea what osteoarthritis is. To make matters worse, the patients are not adhering to their home exercise programs, which lead us to believe that they do not know the importance of exercise as a treatment option. We feel that it will be useful to treat patients as a group class when doing community outreach as there are a large number of patients who have osteoarthritis

Aims of the health talk:

To create awareness in the community about osteoarthritis and treatment options to manage this condition.

Objectives:

To educate patients in the community about osteoarthritis.

To explain the importance of adhering to an exercise program.

To explain the correct manner of performing exercises.

To Educate about the benefits of Physical Activity in the community.

Target population:

Patient in the following clinics suffering from osteoarthritis:

• Mbhokota Clinic
• Bungeni Clinic
• Muwaweni
• Mashamba
• Wayeni

Ethical Considerations:

Permission was obtained from the nursing staff at each clinic of the above mentioned communities. After a thorough explanation regarding the health talk and procedures to be followed, consent forms were issued to each participant to gain permission to do the health talk and allow us to take photographs. All data will be kept confidential and will only be used for academic purposes.


Method:

Information leaflets were created in Venda and Shangaan.

A verbal presentation, using a translator, was given to educate the participants regarding osteoarthritis
A poster was created showing the exercise routine that should be followed by the patients. We also instructed a group exercise class and taught patients the correct manner of performing these exercises.

Leaflets

Evaluation of the health talk (Effectiveness):

A mini questionnaire was handed out before and after the health talk to see if patients had learnt anything from the talk.

Benefits:

The participants will have gained knowledge about OA and we hope that they will be in a position to effectively do self treatment and create community awareness with regards to OA. The clinicians at Elim, can use our exercise protocol for future community outreach projects.

Recommendations and advice:

Acknowledgements:

References:

Pictures:

Health Screening

Screening

Topic:

Compliance to Physiotherapy home programs in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.

Background:



Reasons for choosing the topic:

During our community outreach we came across numerous patients suffering from osteoarthritis. The Physiotherapy outreach programme only visits the respective clinics once a month and therefore we feel it is important to establish whether or not these patients are complaint to their home exercise programs.

Aim of the study:

To establish whether or not patients with osteoarthritis are compliant with their home exercise program.

Target Population:



Objectives:

To establish demographic data of the patients.

To determine the extent to which patients are compliant to their exercise programs.

To establish reasons for non-compiance.



Tools used:

A self-constructed questionnaire will be used.

Ethical Consideration:


Significance of the study:

Method:

A self-constructed questionnaire was developed in three languages namely: English, Venda and Shangaan. These questionnaires were handed out and completed by the participants at the above mentioned clinics. Microsoft Excel was used for data analysis.

Results:

Recommendations:

Acknowledgements:

References:

Background to Elim Hospital.

                                     The Chapel

History


The Hospital was started by Dr. George Lienge, a Swiss Missionary, in 1899.
Elim was the first establishment to receive electricity north of pretoria, even before the town of Louis Trichardt.
It played a critical 'neutral' role in the war between the British and the then South African (boere) government and served both sides.
The is a Museum at the hospital that is a national heritage site that you can still view which contaans some of the original equipment and furniture of the first hospital staff of Elim Hospital. It is interesting to note that the Gyni ward is the actual original hospital and the old theatre is still there. It is currently still in use and one can see the lantern holdings in the walls of this ward.
For more information about the history of the area, it is recommended that you contact Mr Charles Leach, a history buff who still lives in Louis Trichardt and has written a book (Captain Eagle) about the historical events of this era.


Location of the Hospital

It is located in the Vhembe distict, Makhado Municipality, ward 28, 25km south east of Makhado (Louis Trichardt). It is a subtropical area north of Capricorn (S23.15310 degrees E30.05720 , if you have a GPS these coordinates may be helpful).

Epidemiology / Most prevalent diseases or conditions

Immuno-supressant (HIV & AIDS)
Gastroenteritis
Pneumonia
Tb
Hypertension
Cataract
Trauma
Diabetes mellitus
Cardiac Failure

Daily Diary week 4

Day 1 (Monday)

7:30 - 13:00

We worked on the health promotion translation and treated a few OPD patients.  Most health professional that we asked were unwilling to assist with translations but we found a few social workers who would be willing provided be bought them lunch.  So at lunch time we made our way to KFC across the road and bought them lunch.

13:00 - 14:00
Lunch

14:00 - 16:30

I had an appointment to see the Clinical Support Supervisor at the hospital (Mrs Vosloo) who was willing to give me an overview of Elim hospital. I felt the need to get a background of the hospital as it is historical and I walso wanted to know a few facts concerning how the hospital systems of Limpopo are managed. Please see Blog entry: Background of Elim Hopital.
I went to see my ward patients and was glad to see that my one patient had finally been tranferred to Polokwane hospital to undergo surgery for a displaced midshaft femur fracture.

Day 2 (Tuesday)

7:30 - 14:30

Today we spent the day visiting the following community clinics: Watervaal, Mbhokota,Nkhensani and Bungeni. We did health screening and a health talk at Mbhokota clinic and Bungeni clinic. This was a great succees and most patients really benefited from the talk and enjoyed the exercise programme that was given after the talk.
I saw a 3 year old child with clubfoot and took a video. Please see the blog titled Interestin findings and reflections.

Day 3 (wednesday)

7:30 - 13:00

My morning and early afternnon was spent  visiting a patient near Marseilles Clinic. Mr Matwiki, a social worker, Rosy, Jacomie and I all travelled to the patients home. Our aim (The Physio team) was to build stairs that were wide enough to allow the patient to move as safe as possible (using a walking frame) in and out of her room. We used sand , large bricks, a spade, a wheelbarrow and the little cement that was available at the patients home to create this temporary entrance.

Before

Before

     

7 wheelbarrow loads of sand, plenty of sweat & tired physio's, the final product.

Day 4 (Thursday - Final day of the block)

7:30 - 15:30

The day was spent doing community outreach. We visited the following clinics:

• 
  
  Muwaweni
• 
  
  Mashamba
• 
  
  Wayeni
• 
  
  Riverplaats

We conducted health talks and gace exercise classess for OA patients at Muwaweni, Mashamba & Wayeni. Riverplaats did not have enough patients do give a health talk, so the one or two patients were treated individually.