Utilisation and Satisfaction with Health Services among Persons with Disabilities in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Purpose: Healthcare, one of mankind’s basic needs, is generally accessible to persons without disability, but people with disabilities are marginalized and stigmatized in developing countries and as such are unable to utilise the health services they require. The health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) talk about good health and well-being, and about reducing inequality in societies. In South Africa and Ghana, constitutional provisions and policies have been made for inclusion and for reducing inequality among persons with disabilities, but implementation is still in its infancy. The aim of this study is to determine the level of utilisation and satisfaction with health services among persons with disabilities, and to recommend strategies to improve the current situation in the country.Method: A non-interventional, descriptive cross-sectional study was employed, with a quantitative data collection method. A structured questionnaire comprising of both open- and closed-ended questions was used for the data collection. A total of 363 respondents were involved in the study – 360 were persons with disabilities, and 3 were key informants.Results: While A total of 66.9% of persons with disabilities reported being warmly received by health professionals, 23.1% reported encountering a cold attitude, and 5.6% reported being scorned at health facilities. Only 20.5% of persons with disabilities reported frequent visits to health facilities, 42.8% did not visit health facilities frequently, and 36.4% rarely visited a health facility. Moreover 76.4% reported that they made hospital visits for all their ailments.Conclusion: Although health facilities were utilised by few persons with disabilities, the majority of respondents reported that they were well-received there and as such would visit health facilities for all their medical needs.Implications: Persons with disabilities should be included in all areas of society by spreading awareness about their abilities. Partnerships between persons with disabilities and the government and other non-governmental organization’s should be established, to mainstream health services to meet their general and specific needs. It is increasingly important that persons with disabilities play an active role in managing their healthcare needs.

Sexual and reproductive health services utilisation amongst in-school young people with disabilities in Ghana

“…The results show high levels of SRHS utilisation amongst the respondents studied. On the contrary, it was observed in a study conducted amongst PWDs in Accra that only one-fifth of them had utilised healthcare facilities (Abraham et al 2018 ). However, the present findings must be viewed in the context of the unique positioning of the YPWDs in this study.…”

“…Evidence suggests that studies have been conducted on various aspects of SRH amongst PWDs in Ghana over the last decade. Recently, some empirical studies have focused on access (including financial) (Badu et al 2015 , 2018 ), barriers to access (Badu, AgyeiBaffour & Opoku 2016a ), challenges (Ganle et al 2016 ), perspectives of PWDs on attitudes of health service providers (Badu, Opoku & Appiah 2016b ), utilisation and satisfaction with health services (Abraham, Agyei-Baffour & Yarfi 2018 ) and other SRH-related issues (Badu et al 2019 ; Karimu 2017 ).…”