Effect of Socio-demographic Characteristics on Health System Responsiveness in Diabetic and Hypertensive Clinics: A Cross-sectional Study in Tier Three Hospitals in Kenya
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of socio-demographic characteristics on health system responsiveness within diabetic and hypertensive clinics in tier three hospitals in Kenya. Responsiveness, which refers to meeting non-health-improving expectations, is crucial for a well-functioning health system, and gaps in responsiveness can compromise the quality of healthcare. While both client and health system factors contribute to responsiveness, the specific influence of socio-demographic characteristics on health systems responsiveness remains unexplored in Kenyan chronic care centers. The cross-sectional descriptive survey involved 308 respondents from Kimilili, Uasin Gishu, and Gatundu hospitals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that assessed responsiveness domains such as promptness, respect, communication, involvement, confidentiality, choice, cleanliness, social support access, and overall trust, rated on a five-point Likert scale. Socio-demographic factors investigated included facility location, gender, age, medical condition, religion, marital status, education levels, income level, occupation, and insurance enrollment. The mean responsiveness score was 98.8 (63.7%), with only 38.3% of respondents reporting favorable outcomes. Chi-square analysis revealed significant associations (p<0.05) between responsiveness and facility location, religion, marital status, occupation, and medical condition. Age, gender, insurance enrollment, education, and income level showed no significant association (p>0.05) with responsiveness. The study concluded that favorable responsiveness was less likely than unfavorable outcomes, highlighting the significance of socio-demographic factors. It recommends that healthcare managers prioritize holistic, patient-centered interactions to improve responsiveness in chronic care clinics, taking into account the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on patients' experiences and expectations.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
I/We agree to transfer the copyright of this manuscript to the International Journal of Professional Practice (The IJPP) in the event that the manuscript is published in the Journal.
I/We give the undersigned authors of the manuscript have made the following declaration:
(a) That I/We have made substantial contribution during the conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of the data,
(b) That I/We have participated in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content,
(c) That I/We have read and confirm the content of the manuscript and have agreed to it,
(d) That I/We have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content of the paper,
(e) That I/We give guarantee that the content of the manuscript is original, and has not beenvpublished elsewhere and is not currently being considered for publication by another journal.