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. 2021 Mar 16;9(3):332. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9030332

Table 5.

Estimated standard workload per year for health service activities.

Category of Health Professional Descriptive Statistics Standard Workload per Year 95% Confidence Interval
Best Case Scenario (Using Lower Bound of the Service Standard) Worst Case Scenario (Using the Upper Bound of the Service Standard)
General Practitioner (Generalist Doctor) Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a new out-patient case 6030 7558 5017
Review of a follow-up out-patient case (old cases) 10,444 13,053 8704
Review of inpatient per patient day (daily ward rounds) 6319 7915 5259
Referral of a patient 6973 9489 5511
Minor surgical procedures (e.g., suturing lacerations, incision and drainage) 4953 6020 4207
Major surgical procedures 1488 2159 1135
Patient education and counselling 6823 8708 5608
Interventions for minor (simple) medical emergencies 7689 9817 6319
Interventions for moderate-to-severe medical emergencies 3838 5126 3068
Interventions for critically ill medical emergencies 2721 3444 2249
Physician Assistant (Medical) Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a new out-patient case 6108 7283 5259
Review of a follow-up out-patient case (old cases) 9921 11,962 8475
Review of inpatient per patient day (daily ward rounds) 6789 8254 5765
Referral of a patient 7567 9224 6415
Minor surgical procedures (e.g., suturing lacerations, incision and drainage) 3802 4301 3406
Patient education and counselling 9043 11,088 7635
Interventions for minor (simple) medical emergencies 5627 6985 4711
Interventions for moderate-to-severe medical emergencies 3739 4726 3093
Interventions for critically ill medical emergencies 3541 4435 2947
Midwife Antenatal care (ANC) consultation 4449 5455 3755
Postnatal care (PNC) consultation 5010 5735 4448
Family planning service (non-invasive procedure) 5952 8280 4645
Family planning service (invasive procedure) 2446 2869 2132
Prevention of Mother-To-Child (PMTC) transmission of HIV during antenatal care visit 5694 6708 4946
Vaginal delivery 735 951 598
Inpatient care per patient day (routine care for mother) 3200 3926 2700
Inpatient care per patient day (routine care for new-born) 3200 4077 2634
Admission processes per patient 4436 5108 3921
Discharge processes per patient 4533 5284 3968
Preparing a patient for caesarean section 3015 3762 2515
Patient education and counselling 6892 8796 5665
In-patient management of complications of pregnancy 2163 2400 1968
Clinical Nurse (Registered General Nurse & Enrolled Nurse) Out-patient care (triaging, vital signs and history taking) 9786 10,326 9299
Out-patient consultation (where applicable) 7373 8009 6831
Admission processes per patient 4436 5108 3921
Discharge processes per patient 4533 5284 3968
Pre-Operative preparation of patients 3763 4254 3374
Post-operative management which is different from routine care 2285 2535 2080
Inpatient care per patient day (routine care) for low dependent cases or mildly ill patients 2416 2549 2296
Inpatient care per patient day (routine care) for moderately dependent cases or patients with severe illness 2224 2391 2078
Inpatient care per patient day (routine care) for highly dependent cases or critically ill patients 709 756 668
Discharge patient education and counselling 5324 5672 5017
Minor surgical procedures (suturing lacerations, incision and drainage, wound dressings) 3586 3932 3296
Preventive Nurse (Community Health Nurse) Family planning 6713 8012 5777
Out-patient consultation to manage minor ailments 7895 9703 6655
Referral of patients 10,289 12,768 8617
Patient education and counselling 6892 8796 5665
Home visiting 4237 4863 3753
School health (assessment of pupil) 7799 9291 6719
Immunisation 16,000 18,714 13,973
Growth monitoring 15,335 17,320 13,759
Nutritionist and Dietician Nutritional Status Assessment 7202 22,203 4298
Patient education and counselling 6892 8796 5665
Referral of patients 10,289 12,768 8617
Intervention including diet planning for patients 3556 8255 2266
School health 4800 11,056 3065
Follow-ups/home visits 4115 50,284 2145
Laboratory Scientist and Laboratory Technician Sample taking and processing 10,116 11,726 8894
Full blood count (using an automated machine) 16,667 19,392 14,613
Rapid diagnostic tests (Malaria, HIV, etc.) 5511 5863 5199
Malaria test using microscopy) 3539 3979 3186
Urine routine examination 5206 5820 4709
Stool routine examination 4124 4872 3574
Blood sugar test 7012 8753 5849
Blood donor bleeding 3057 3314 2838
Preparing blood for transfusion 2777 3004 2582
Blood chemistry 5707 6171 5309
Culture and sensitivity analysis 1297 1427 1189
Pharmacist & Pharmacy Technician Prescription auditing and dispensing for out-patient cases 13,205 16,304 11,096
Prescription auditing and dispensing for in-patient cases 13,953 16,396 12,144
Prescription refilling for chronic conditions 13,994 19,910 10,788
Pharmaceutical interventions to correct prescription errors 13,187 16,407 11,023
Patient adherence counselling and education 7541 8761 6620

Note: The calculation for standard workload assumes that the health professional dedicates all his/her available working time to only a particular activity throughout the year.