Search results

The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that influence patients’ long-term relationship with healthcare providers in healthcare delivery at hospitals.

Data were gathered using 170 patients in a cross-sectional survey with quantitative research methods at a public regional hospital. Results were obtained using descriptive analysis and regression analysis.

Generally, the study found that the health-related factors (the reception of staff, providers’ attitude, waiting time, competence and expertise and the hospital environment) that influence patients’ long-term relationship with the healthcare providers/hospital were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The findings showed that overall 90.0 per cent of the patients were very satisfied with the overall healthcare services at the hospital.

Limited sample size, lack of examination of healthcare providers’ perspectives and non-application of qualitative methods make it difficult to give a true picture of how these can enhance patients’ intent to keep a long-term relationship with the healthcare providers/hospital.

The paper suggests that health policymakers and practitioners need to enhance measures that will make patients satisfied leading to their long-term commitment and cordial relationship with the healthcare providers/hospital.

The study demonstrated how health-related factors will be associated with the patients’ agreement/intent to keep a long-term relationship with their service providers at hospitals. Thus, the overall hypothesis was true that there is a relationship between patients’ satisfaction with the healthcare experienced and their long-term relationship with healthcare providers/hospital.

This is one of the few studies conducted on the topic in the context of Ghana’s health sector. It recommends that there should be a good interpersonal relationship between healthcare providers and patients, as patients’ satisfaction is not based on only receiving treatment at the health facility.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how strategies are put in place to formulate policies regarding the introduction and implementation of relationship marketing (RM) in the health sector, and how RM strategies are designed as part of the curricula for the training of prospective health professionals in Ghana.

Data were gathered using interviews and documentary review. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit policy makers and health educationists in Accra for in-depth interviews. Qualitative interviews were analysed using framework analysis.

The findings revealed that, currently, there is no policy framework on RM in the health sector nor included in the curricula of health training institutions in the country.

Due to limited time and funding constraints, the study could not include many policy makers, educationists, health providers, facilities and regions outside the Greater Accra region of Ghana. This means that the authors missed out on useful insights from other relevant policy makers/educationists who would have added to the knowledge that this study contributes. There were still some areas that this study could not cover, including the lack of an exploration of the perceptions of health providers and patients.

Evidence from the current research provides the basis for scaling up of a similar study to the whole country to address the perennial RM or quality of care/patient satisfaction issues persisting in health facilities in the country. The outcome of this large-scale study would help to confirm the findings of the current study on the adoption and incorporation of RM into both policy framework and curricula of health training institutions in Ghana. The findings would culminate in the preparation and utilisation of guidelines on RM for client-centred service delivery in the health sector of the country.

This paper argues that RM orientation could enable health professionals to improve upon their healthcare service performance and quality of care so as to enhance patient satisfaction.

The study recommends that RM should be adopted by health policy makers and designers of curricula for health training institutions.

The purpose of this paper is to assess available human resources for neonatal care and their skills, in order to explore health providers’ perceptions of quality of neonatal care in health facilities in Ghana.

Data were gathered using qualitative interviews with health providers working in the maternity and paediatric wards and midwives; direct observation; and documentary review at a regional hospital, a municipal hospital and four health centres in a municipality in a region in Southern Ghana. Data were analysed using thematic framework through the process of coding in six phases to create and establish meaningful patterns.

The study revealed that health providers were concerned about the number of staff available, their competence and also equipment available for them to work more efficiently. Some essential equipment for neonatal care was either not available or was non-functional where it was available, while aseptic procedures were not adhered to. Moreover, personal protective equipment such as facemask, caps, aprons were not used except in the labour wards where staff had to change their footwear before entering.

Limited number of health providers and facilities used, lack of exploration of parents of neonates’ perspective of quality of neonatal care in this study and other settings, including the teaching hospitals. The authors did not examine issues related to the ineffective use of IV cannulation for neonates by nurses as well as referral of neonates. Additionally, the authors did not explore the perspectives of management of the municipal and regional health directorates or policy makers of the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service regarding the shortage of staff, inadequate provision of medical equipment and infrastructure.

This paper suggests the need for policy makers to redirect their attention to the issues that would improve the quality of neonatal health care in health facilities in Ghana and in countries with similar challenges.

The study found that the majority of nursing staff catering for sick newborns were not trained in neonatal nursing. Babies were found sleeping in separate cots but were mixed with older children. The study suggests that babies should be provided with a separate room and not mixed with older babies.

There seemed to be no defined policy framework for management of neonatal care in the country’s health care facilities. The study recommends the adoption of paediatric and neonatal care nursing as a specialty in the curricula of health training institutions. In-service trainings should encompass issues related to management of sick babies, care of preterm babies, neonatal resuscitation and intravenouscannulation, among others.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how socio-cultural beliefs and practices could influence the knowledge, attitude and perception of insecticide-treated net (ITN) use in the control of malaria amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinic.

Data were gathered using interviews and documentary review. Framework analysis was applied to classify emerging themes and the findings interpreted using the health belief model.

The findings showed that the pregnant women had appreciable knowledge, both the positive and negative attitudes and the perceptions of insecticide treated nets. To most of them, sleeping under an ITN would not affect pregnancy/cause abortion, but rather prevent mosquito bites and associated malaria.

The limitations include the sample size of participants and health facilities used. Lack of application of a quantitative research method meant that the authors could not quantify the findings to ensure generalisation to the entire population.

The findings suggest that health policy makers, implementers and health professionals need to appreciate the perception and the attitude of pregnant women when designing policy guidelines for the malaria control programme.

This paper helps to elucidate on how socio-cultural beliefs and practices could influence the knowledge, attitude and perception of ITN usage amongst both pregnant women and people in malaria endemic communities.

This paper suggests that health policy makers, implementers and health professionals have to devise strategies to address socio-cultural beliefs and practices in the scaling up of malaria control programmes.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of health system factors on access to a quality healthcare among prisoners in Ghana.

Data were gathered using different qualitative methods (interviews and participant observation) with staff of the James Camp Prison, Accra. Findings were analyzed using a framework method for the thematic analysis of the semi-structured interview data; and interpreted with the theoretical perspective of health systems thinking and innovation.

The study concludes that health system factors such as inadequate funding for health services, lack of skilled personnel and a paucity of essential medical supplies and drugs negatively affected the quality of healthcare provided to inmates.

The limited facilities available and the sample size (healthcare workers and prison administrators) impeded the achievement of varied views on the topic.

The paper recommends the need for health policy makers and authorities of the Ghana Prison Service to collaborate and coordinate in a unified way to undertake policy analysis in an effort to reform the prisons healthcare system.

The national health insurance scheme was found to be the financing option for prisoners’ access to free healthcare with supplementation from the Ghana Prison Service. The study recommends that policy makers and healthcare stakeholders should understand and appreciate the reality that the provision of a quality healthcare for prisoners is part of the entire system of healthcare service delivery in Ghana and as such should be given the needed attention.

This is one of few studies conducted on male only prisoners/prison in the context of Ghana. It recommends the need for an integrated approach to ensure that the entire healthcare system achieves set objectives in response to the primary healthcare concept.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of social dynamics on the performance of mutual health organisations (MHOs) exploring the influence of community wealth and community leadership on policy implementation.

Four operating district mutual health insurance schemes were selected using geographical locations, among other criteria, as case studies. Data were gathered through interviews and documentary review. The findings were analysed using community field and social capital theories.

Traditional leaders like the Chiefs serve as the pivot around which social and human capital of the communities revolve in the developmental process of the country.

Lack of exhaustive examination of the financial and institutional viability issues of the MHOs. Future studies could assess the interplay between financial, institutional and social viability models when measuring the financial and overall sustainability of MHOs.

Health policy makers need to involve traditional leaders in the formulation and implementation of national policies since their acceptance or rejection of central government policy could have negative consequences.

Ghana is a dynamic country and there is the need to utilise existing social networks: inter-family and inter-tribal relationships to ensure the viability of MHOs.

There is and can be a successful interplay between public sector funding and community sector revenue mobilisation for financing the health sector in Ghana. This justifies the complementarity between government funding and community’s resource mobilisation efforts in the health sector.

The purpose of this paper is to explore challenges to the performance and sustainability of mutual health organisations (MHOs) and health institutions towards enhancing access to quality health care (HC) in Ghana.

Data were gathered through interviews and documentary review.

Problems with late release of reimbursement funds for discharging with claims by the central government has impacted heavily on the financial and strategic management and decision-making processes of the MHOs and health institutions.

The lack of in-depth analysis of the financial viability of the MHOs; and the limited number of schemes selected.

Recommends the need to ensure prompt release of reimbursement funds by government to enable the MHOs to reimburse claims to health institutions.

There is a perceived tension between the MHOs and HC institutions due to late release of reimbursement funds by the government.

Contributes to understanding of how the NHI Act influences the operations of MHOs and health institutions towards increasing access to quality HC and financing.