Servicescape: Physical environment of hospital pharmacies and hospital pharmacists' work outcomes

Evaluation of job satisfaction among pharmacists working in public health facilities

Background

The decline in healthcare workforce is a global trend that is alarming in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) in LMIC and many countries worldwide, pharmacists plays critical role in healthcare, many of which are not limited to patient care, research and development, health promotion. However, growing dissatisfaction among pharmacists working in public health facilities has become increasingly common and can have severe public health consequence. Job dissatisfaction ranks among the most significant factors influencing healthcare employees to seek career changes, reduce productivity, and possibly migrate to more promising opportunities, thereby posing a public health threat in the region.' Furthermore, healthcare professionals are crucial to the functionality of a healthcare system, with human resources standing as a critical element ensuring organizational success vis-a-vis other dependent factors to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.

Objectives

To examine the job satisfaction of pharmacists working in public health facilities in Nigeria.

Method

A descriptive, cross-sectional study on pharmacists' job satisfaction was carried out between march and July 2023, to determine the job satisfaction of pharmacists working in primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria. Data were gathered using an anonymous online validated questionnaire adapted from the Minnesota questionnaire short form and the Job Description Index (JDI) (Measuring Job Satisfaction - Tools, Scales, and Methods).

Results

The study identified an overall low job satisfaction level of 65%. Major influencers included facility conditions, co-worker relations, and remuneration. The demographic data revealed a dominance of female pharmacists in general hospital settings, with a significant proportion aged between 23 and 36 years. Remuneration emerged as a universal concern across different age groups, reflecting Nigeria's prevailing economic challenges. Interestingly, satisfaction with the working facility decreased with age, suggesting that enthusiasm and optimism wane over time. Relationship dynamics with co-workers showed positive progression with age, whereas satisfaction with pay remained universally low.

Conclusion

The study underscores the need for a comprehensive strategic review in the health sector, focusing on remuneration, working conditions, and inter-personal relationships to boost job satisfaction and retention. Further research might delve deeper into specific allowances and the impact of home ownership on satisfaction.

Exploring the impact of the physical work environment on service employees: an analysis of literature

Purpose

The recent COVID-19 emergency has brought to light issues connected to physical work environment, particularly to offices and to its impact on service employees’ internal responses, behaviors and outcomes. As the topic is characterized by fragmented theoretical approaches as well as a lack in consolidated empirical research, this study aims at providing a clear understanding of the main – as well as the most recent – issues debated in academic literature today.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is a systematic literature review. Specifically, 124 papers, retrieved by Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCOhost research databases, are here systematically analyzed.

Findings

The main findings are connected to the prevalence of studies investigating employees’ satisfaction and productivity as main outcomes, the increasing attention by academics to new workplace designs, characterized by peculiar attributes such as flexibility and nonterritoriality, and finally, the lower interest in nonoffice working environments.

Originality/value

The review sheds light on the current knowledge of the relation between physical work environment and service employees to identify the main issues debated in academic literature and make suggestions for further research. First, the need to explore aspects of the physical work environment and employees’ outcomes that have not been adequately studied. Second, the relevance to investigate the above relation in public sector. Moreover, the importance of careful planning of the physical and virtual work environment in the context of the COVID-19 emergency.

Do the servicescape of public and private hospitals differ? The Malaysian context

Purpose

This study aims to explore if public and private hospitals have differing servicescape attributes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a two-stage (EFA and CFA) procedure for identifying the servicescape attributes and examining their validity in the context of public and private hospitals.

Findings

The findings indicate that, in different contexts, patients would expect different aesthetics of servicescape attributes and how they are influenced by the hospital premises.

Research limitations/implications

It is interesting to note that: not all of the attributes that appear in both contexts are exactly the same; patients do not seem to face difficulties in analysing and interpreting directional cues, even though the spatial orientation in private hospitals is relatively smaller; the way patients of public hospitals draw inference about the ambient conditions is not consistent with private hospitals; and patients perceive that private hospitals pay special attention to developing a built environment that facilitates treatment and recovery process via interior layout, as well as decoration and architecture attributes.

Practical implications

The study grounds the servicescape attributes and provides insights to effectively promote public and private hospitals.

Originality/value

This study may be amongst the first to offer servicescape evidence in both the public and private hospitals.

Service quality and perceived customer value in community pharmacies

A patient's perception of the service provided by a health care provider is essential for the successful delivery of health care. This study examines the value created by community pharmacies-defined as perceived customer value-in the prescription drug market through varying elements of service quality. We develop a path model that describes the relationship between service elements and perceived customer value. We then analyze the effect of perceived customer value on customer satisfaction and loyalty. We use data obtained from 289 standardized interviews on respondents' prescription fill in the last six months in Germany. The service elements personal interaction (path coefficient: 0.31), physical aspect (0.12), store policy (0.24), and availability (0.1) have a positive significant effect on perceived customer value. Consultation and reliability have no significant influence. We further find a strong positive interdependency between perceived customer value, customer satisfaction (0.75), and customer loyalty (0.71). Thus, pharmacies may enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty if they consider the customer perspective and focus on the relevant service elements. To enhance benefit, personal interaction appears to be most important to address appropriately.

The Influence of Flooring on Environmental Stressors

Objective:

Three flooring materials, terrazzo, rubber, and carpet tile, in patient unit corridors were compared for absorption of sound, comfort, light reflectance, employee perceptions and preferences, and patient satisfaction.

Background:

Environmental stressors, such as noise and ergonomic factors, effect healthcare workers and patients, contributing to increased fatigue, anxiety and stress, decreased productivity, and patient safety and satisfaction.

Methods:

A longitudinal comparative cohort study comparing three types of flooring assessed sound levels, healthcare worker responses, and patient Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) ratings over 42 weeks. A linear mixed model analysis was conducted to determine significant differences between the means for participant responses and objective sound meter data during all three phases of the study.

Results:

A significant difference was found for sound levels between flooring type for equivalent continuous sound levels. Carpet tile performed better for sound attenuation by absorption, reducing sound levels 3.14 dBA. Preferences for flooring materials changed over the course of the study. The HCAHPS ratings aligned with the sound meter data showing that patients perceived the noise levels to be lower with carpet tiles, improving patient satisfaction ratings.

Conclusions:

Perceptions for healthcare staff and patients were aligned with the sound meter data. Carpet tile provides sound absorption that affects sound levels and influences occupant’s perceptions of environmental factors that contribute to the quality of the indoor environment. Flooring that provides comfort underfoot, easy cleanability, and sound absorption influence healthcare worker job satisfaction and patient satisfaction with their patient experience.

How to Plan Workflow Changes

Objective: A quality improvement tool is provided to improve pharmacy workflow with the goal of minimizing errors caused by workflow issues. This study involved workflow evaluation and reorganization, and staff opinions of these proposed changes. Practice Description: The study pharmacy was an outpatient pharmacy in the Tucson area. However, the quality improvement tool may be applied in all pharmacy settings, including but not limited to community, hospital, and independent pharmacies. Practice Innovation: This tool can help the user to identify potential workflow problem spots, such as high-traffic areas through the creation of current and proposed workflow diagrams. Creating a visual representation can help the user to identify problem spots and to propose changes to optimize workflow. It may also be helpful to assess employees’ opinions of these changes. Conclusion: The workflow improvement tool can be used to assess where improvements are needed in a pharmacy’s floor plan and workflow. Suggestions for improvements in the study pharmacy included increasing the number of verification points and decreasing high traffic areas in the workflow. The employees of the study pharmacy felt that the proposed changes displayed greater continuity, sufficiency, accessibility, and space within the pharmacy.