DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i01.0060

Pages: 274-282

The choice of a healthcare facility is not as straightforward as it usually seems. The assumption is that patients want high-quality care at the cheapest rates and choose centres that best fit their needs and preferences. However, in reality it is the result of interplay between patient and provider characteristics. The aim of the study is to identify the factors which determine the choice of health services to accommodate the changing trends.The method employed was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 384 respondents selected by a 2 staged random sampling technique.The majority (59.9%) of the respondents felt that the Teaching Hospital provided the best health care services.Perception of the overall quality of care (34.9%), perception of competence of health professionals (32.0%) and effectiveness of treatments given (28.0%) were the factors considered to be the most important in determining which facility provided the best services. Other less important determinants are cost, friendliness or hostility of health personnel, incessant strike action by health personnel and proximity of facilities to the homes. The most important determinants of choice of health facility are waiting time and perception of the quality of care. Other factors include cost, friendliness of health personnel, potential of strike action by health personnel and geographical access.