Demand for health care service and associated factors among patients in the community of Tsegedie District, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundDemand-side barriers are as important as supply factors in deterring patients from obtaining treatment. Developing countries including Ethiopia have been focusing on promoting health care utilization as an important policy to improve health outcomes and to meet international obligations to make health services broadly accessible. However, many policy and research initiatives focused on improving physical access rather than focusing on the pattern of health care service utilization related to demand side. Understanding of determinants of demand for health care services would enable to introduce and implement appropriate incentive schemes to encourage better utilization of health care services in the community of Tsegedie district, Northern Ethiopia.MethodsA community based cross sectional study design was conducted from March1–30/2016 in Northern Ethiopia. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 423 participants from 2189 patients of the one-month census. A pretested and standardized semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered using Epi-info version 7 and analysed by STATA version 11. Multinomial logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of demand for health care service.ResultsA total of 423 (with a response rate of 98.3%) study participants were included in the study. The finding indicates that 72.5% (95%CI = 61.6, 81.1) of the participants demanded modern health care services. The multinomial logistic regression econometric model revealed that perceived severity of illness (β = 1.27; 95% CI = 0.74, 1.82), being educated household head (β = 0.079; 95% CI = 0.96, 1.74), quality of treatment (β = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.47, 1.5), distance to health facility β = 1.96; 95%CI = 0.11, 0.27), cost of treatment (β = − 1.99; 95% CI = 0.85, 3,13) were significantly and statistically associated with demand for health care service.ConclusionThis study revealed that in Tsegedie district, majorities (72.5%) of the patients demanded modern health care service. Distance to health care facility, user-fees, educational status of household, quality of service, and severity of illness were found to be significantly associated with demand for health care service.Out of pocket, payments should be changed by prepayment schemes like community-based insurance than to depend on user fees and appropriate health information dissemination activities should strengthen to create awareness about modern care.

Demand for community-based care services and its influencing factors among the elderly in affordable housing communities: a case study in Nanjing City

“…For instance, in 'the 13 th five year national plan (2016-2020) for developing the elderly care system' issued in 2017, it is required to give priority to the development of community-based care services [5]. Nevertheless, recent studies have illustrated that many studies paid more attention on improving the accessibility of elderly facilities than on the utilization of community-based care related to the demand side [6][7][8]. For increasing demands of the elderly for different types of services, the lack of supply has been the main barrier to developing the elderly care system [9][10][11][12].…”

Rising Healthcare Expenditure – Demand Side: A Systematic Review

“…Healthcare insurance for the urban and expanding for rural need further considerations such as price of insurance is available at a minimum level, Willingness To Pay for lesser premium and subsidised difference by the government (Asgary et al, 2004). Community-based insurance is an advisable alternative for out-of-pocket as a prepayment scheme as oppose to user fees (Wellay et al, 2018). Community-based insurance may result in the increment of healthcare usage among the poor with additional income premium adjustment and subsidies.…”

“…Open Access: e-Journal importantly affordability for the lower income groups (Abraham & Feldman, 2010). Pertaining to the safety net of specific population such as the elderly, it should be extended to the preelderly population too (Lee et al, 2018) Modern (western) healthcare awareness should be established through dissemination of health information (Wellay et al, 2018). This has the potential of reducing healthcare expenditure due to the decrement of physician visits (Schmid, 2014).…”

“…Demand for health care service and associated factors among patients in (Wellay et al, 2018) 423 individuals There is an inequality amongst pro-rich in regards to dental visits and uptake of cancer screening. The relationship between medical spending and better health is statistically significant: 10% higher medical spending within three years prior (mean = USD 2,709) is associated with a 1.9% higher Health and Activity Limitation Index (HALex) value (p = 0.045; 1.2-2.2%…”

Trends in and determinants of visiting private health facilities for maternal and child health care in Nepal: Comparison of three Nepal Demographic Health Surveys, 2006, 2011, and 2016.

“…Quality of care, and in particular, perceived quality based on patient evaluations, is an important deciding factor in choosing health care services (21). The quality of services offered at health facilities signi cantly impacts the demand for and use of these services, even in LMICs (22). Globally, over half of all care for children with diarrhoea, fever, and cough is provided in the private sector, with more people from urban and wealthier backgrounds using these services than people from rural and poorer backgrounds (23).…”