JGAS

Article Details

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2021): July

A Case Study on the Quality of Healthcare in Uganda: Examining the Effectiveness, Safety, Patient-Centred and Timeliness of District Healthcare Facilities

https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v1i2.741
12 Jul 2021

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the quality of healthcare in Uganda in terms of effectiveness, safety, patient-centred and timeliness of District Healthcare Facilities.

Research Methodology: This study took a case study design involving an intensive, descriptive, and holistic analysis of PHFs in the Hoima district. Case study research involves studying a single entity in depth so as to understand the larger cases; to describe and explain rather than predict.

Results: The main factors affecting the quality of healthcare were the National health system, overall working environment, national budgetary allocation to the health sector, and collaboration between health centres and hospitals. Enhancing the quality of healthcare requires addressing the aforesaid as well as engaging with the LLGAs.

Conclusions: This study highlights the need for Local Government Authorities (LLGAs) to incorporate quality healthcare dimensions into their annual plans and ensure that every Primary Health Facility (PHF) has a strong quality assurance unit to address gaps and take corrective actions.

Limitations: This study only covers one district local government in a country where there are over 100 districts hence limiting the notion of generalization of results.

Contributions: This study contributes to understanding health-related issues from the perspective of quality, which is very key in health service delivery.

Novelty: This study offers a unique perspective on the quality of healthcare in Uganda by focusing on the role of Local Governments in overseeing lower-level health facilities, particularly Health Centre IIs and IIIs, which are often overlooked in policy discussions.

Keywords

Effectiveness Healthcare Patient-centeredness Safety Timeliness

How to Cite

Mwesigwa, D., Wahid, K. A., & Sohheng, N. (2021). A Case Study on the Quality of Healthcare in Uganda: Examining the Effectiveness, Safety, Patient-Centred and Timeliness of District Healthcare Facilities. Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies, 1(2), 133–144. https://doi.org/10.35912/jgas.v1i2.741

References

  1. Abiodun, A. J., & Adeyemi, K. S. (2020). Performance role models among public health facilities: An application of data envelopment analysis. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 13(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2017.1397379
  2. Assaf, M. (2020). A new experience of online education under the COVID-19 pandemic for occupational therapy students in Palestine. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 76(2), 103-107. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/14473828.2020.1825274
  3. Bahendeka, S., Mutungi, G., Tugumisirize, F., Kamugisha, A., Nyangabyaki, C., Wesonga, R., Were, T. P. (2019). Healthcare delivery for paediatric and adolescent diabetes in low resource settings: type 1 diabetes clinics in Uganda. Global public health, 14(12), 1869-1883. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2019.1611897
  4. Barton, S. J., Sandhu, S., Doan, I., Blanchard, L., Dai, A., Paulenich, A., Seider, J. (2021). Perceived barriers and supports to accessing community-based services for Uganda’s pediatric post-surgical population. Disability and Rehabilitation, 43(15), 2172-2183. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1694999
  5. Bhatia, M., & Singh, D. P. (2021). Health sector allocationin india’s budget (2021–2022): a trick or treat? The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 3(2), 177-180. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/25166026211017338
  6. Brennan, E., & Abimbola, S. (2020). Understanding and progressing health system decentralisation in Myanmar. Global security: health, science and policy, 5(1), 17-27. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/23779497.2020.1782247
  7. Cai, H., Zilm, F., Sheward, H., & Graham, K. (2020). Responding to COVID-19: healthcare surge capacity design for high-consequence infectious disease. Technology| Architecture+ Design, 4(2), 135-139. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/24751448.2020.1804752
  8. Fairchild, A., Gostin, L., & Bayer, R. (2020). Vexing, veiled, and inequitable: Social distancing and the “rights” divide in the age of COVID-19. The American journal of bioethics, 20(7), 55-61. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2020.1764142
  9. Gliem, J. A., & Gliem, R. R. (2003). Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for Likert-type scales.
  10. Gomez-Delgado, F., Katsiki, N., Lopez-Miranda, J., & Perez-Martinez, P. (2021). Dietary habits, lipoprotein metabolism and cardiovascular disease: From individual foods to dietary patterns. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 61(10), 1651-1669. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1764487
  11. Imlawi, J., & Gregg, D. (2020). Understanding the satisfaction and continuance intention of knowledge contribution by health professionals in online health communities. Informatics for Health and Social Care, 45(2), 151-167. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17538157.2019.1625053
  12. Jaja, I. F., Anyanwu, M. U., & Iwu Jaja, C.-J. (2020). Social distancing: how religion, culture and burial ceremony undermine the effort to curb COVID-19 in South Africa. Emerging microbes & infections, 9(1), 1077-1079. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2020.1769501
  13. Jaspal, R., Lopes, B., & Lopes, P. (2020). Predicting social distancing and compulsive buying behaviours in response to COVID-19 in a United Kingdom sample. Cogent psychology, 7(1), 1800924. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2020.1800924
  14. Jayantkumar, P. H., & Dasharathbhai, P. N. (2019). Study on patient satisfaction of outpatient department in ESI Hospitals at Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat in state of Gujarat. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 12(4), 259-264. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2017.1398441
  15. Jillian, O., & Kizito, O. (2020). Socio-cultural factors associated with incomplete routine immunization of children _ Amach Sub-County, Uganda. Cogent medicine, 7(1), 1848755. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/2331205x.2020.1848755
  16. Kwateng, K. O., Lumor, R., & Acheampong, F. O. (2019). Service quality in public and private hospitals: A comparative study on patient satisfaction. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 12(4). doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2017.1390183
  17. Leonce, T. E. (2021). A dynamic model of quality assurance in primary healthcare in developing countries. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 14(4), 1246-1253. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2020.1756110
  18. Morgan, A. K. (2020). Making COVID-19 prevention etiquette of social distancing a reality for the homeless and slum dwellers in Ghana: lessons for consideration. Local environment, 25(7), 536-539. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2020.1789854
  19. Mu, Y., Bossink, B., & Vinig, T. (2019). Service innovation quality in healthcare: service innovativeness and organisational renewal as driving forces. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 30(11-12), 1219-1234. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2017.1362954
  20. O’Donovan, J., Hamala, R., Namanda, A. S., Musoke, D., Ssemugabo, C., & Winters, N. (2020). ‘We are the people whose opinions don’t matter’. A photovoice study exploring challenges faced by community health workers in Uganda. Global public health, 15(3), 384-401. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2019.1663233
  21. Okpala, P. (2020). Increasing access to quality healthcare through collaborative leadership. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 13(3), 229-235. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2017.1401276
  22. Omona, K., & Namuli, W. (2020). Factors influencing utilization of intra-uterine device among postpartum mothers at Gombe Hospital, Butambala disrtict, Uganda. Cogent medicine, 7(1), 1846264.
  23. Rahman, S. Y. (2020). ‘Social distancing’during COVID-19: the metaphors and politics of pandemic response in India. Health Sociology Review, 29(2), 131-139. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2020.1790404
  24. Richter, J. P., & Kazley, A. S. (2020). Social media: How hospital facebook activity may influence patient satisfaction. Health Marketing Quarterly, 37(1), 1-9. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2020.1713573
  25. Ronca, E., Scheel-Sailer, A., Koch, H. G., Essig, S., Brach, M., Münzel, N., Group, S. S. (2020). Satisfaction with access and quality of healthcare services for people with spinal cord injury living in the community. The journal of spinal cord medicine, 43(1), 111-121. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10790268.2018.1486623
  26. Sousa, K. M. D., Pinhanez, M. D. M. S. F., Monte, P. A. D., & Diniz, J. A. (2020). Salary, financial autonomy and efficiency of healthcare systems in local governments. Applied economics letters, 27(2), 122-126. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2019.1610697
  27. Suleri, J. (2020). Learners’ experience and expectations during and post COVID-19 in higher education. Research in hospitality management, 10(2), 91-96. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2020.1869463
  28. Thuy, H. T., Ha, D. T., Tuong, P. V., Thinh, C. Q., & Nga, N. T. (2021). Availability of essential medicines in primary care in Vietnam. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 14(4), 1213-1220. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2020.1756093
  29. Varea, V., & González-Calvo, G. (2021). Touchless classes and absent bodies: teaching physical education in times of Covid-19. Sport, education and society, 26(8), 831-845. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2020.1791814
  30. Walcott, R. L., Ingels, J. B., Corso, P. S., Zalwango, S., Whalen, C. C., & Sekandi, J. N. (2020). There’s no such thing as a free TB diagnosis: Catastrophic TB costs in Urban Uganda. Global public health, 15(6), 877-888. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2020.1724313
  31. Wasdani, K. P., & Prasad, A. (2020). The impossibility of social distancing among the urban poor: the case of an Indian slum in the times of COVID-19. Local environment, 25(5), 414-418. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2020.1754375
  32. Wright, C. (2020). Local government fighting Covid-19. The round table, 109(3), 338-339. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1763017
  33. Xie, X., Siau, K., & Nah, F. F.-H. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic–online education in the new normal and the next normal. Journal of information technology case and application research, 22(3), 175-187. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/15228053.2020.1824884
WhatsApp Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Email