Factors of Attendance at Health Services by Households in the City of Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kisanga Health Zone: Case of GRH la Foi)
Introduction: Patient attendance at health services constitutes a public health problem; in the Democratic Republic of Congo, two-thirds of patients do not use the formal health system to obtain care. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence attendance at health services at the Foi General Reference Hospital in the Kisanga Health Zone. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study based on data from a survey of 422 heads of households. Those participants who consented to participate in the study were interviewed using a previously established questionnaire supported by the interview. For data analysis and processing, we used Microsoft Excel 2010 and Epi-info v. 7.2.2.6 software. Results: We found that 100% (n = 422) of our respondents had knowledge about the General Reference Hospital la Foi and 94% (n = 405) of them had already visited it. The low use of health services was associated with the following factors: The high cost of care (69.4%), the low daily income (91.2%), and the majority of respondents attended the GRH la Foi only once (45.4%). The quality of care (47.7%), reception (19.8%), cleanliness (12.3%), and proximity (9.1%) are associated with household attendance at the GRH la Foi. Conclusion: The quality of care at GRH la Foi is a major reason for attendance and the high cost of care is a major factor associated with the low utilization of GRH la Foi. This hospital should therefore improve the pricing of the care they offer to the population.
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