Limited research has been conducted in African countries to investigate how clients respond to different levels of service quality when they seek reproductive health services. Information about clients’ switching behaviour has great potential for application in learning about clients’ requirements and the quality of services offered at facilities.
In 1994 and 1996 two studies, conducted in Kenya, investigated the role played by service quality in clients’ choice of health facilities and how they continued with or switched between facilities for family planning services. Qualitative data based on 31 in-depth interviews and 12 focus group discussions constituted the first part of the study. Further, from a sample of 28 health facilities, 1834 women were interviewed about their use of facilities when they sought antenatal , child health and family planning services. This paper focuses only on women’s behaviour when they used facilities for family planning services.
Qualitative data suggested that widespread switching of health facilties among family planning clients was related mainly to cost of services, distance to facilities and service quality. The quantitative survey confirmed these findings. In addition, analysis revealed the importance of giving clients a choice of methods. For instance, the probability of switching was lowest among women who had used a contraceptive that they had chosen (9 percent) compared to that recommended by service providers (15 percent) or friends (15 percent). The study provides a new tool for investigating the effect of quality and its impact on service utilisation by women.
Learning Objectives: 1. To identify the role of service quality in facility switching behavior. 2. To present switching as an outcome indicator tool for measuring the effect of quality on women's behavior
Keywords: Quality,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.