Decision-making process of Kala Azar care: results from a qualitative study carried out in disease endemic areas of Nepal

Infectious Diseases of Poverty

M Mahmud Khan²  Siripen Supakankunti³  Shiva Raj Adhikari¹ 

[1] Department of Economics, Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal;Department of Health Services Policy and Management, University of South Carolina, Carolina, USA;Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

关键词: Nepal;    Utilization;    Decision-making process;    Kala Azar;   

Others  :  804121
DOI  :  10.1186/2049-9957-2-14

 received in 2013-05-01, accepted in 2013-07-11,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Analysis of consumer decision making in the health sector is a complex process of comparing feasible alternatives and evaluating the levels of satisfaction associated with the relevant options. This paper makes an attempt to understand how and why consumers make specific decisions, what motivates them to adopt a specific health intervention, and what features they find attractive in each of the options.

Method

The study used a descriptive-explanatory design to analyze the factors determining the choices of healthcare providers. Information was collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews.

Results

The results suggest that the decision making related to seeking healthcare for Kala Azar (KA) treatment is a complex, interactive process. Patients and family members follow a well-defined road map for decision making. The process of decision making starts from the recognition of healthcare needs and is then modified by a number of other factors, such as indigenous knowledge, healthcare alternatives, and available resources. Household and individual characteristics also play important roles in facilitating the process of decision making. The results from the group discussions and in-depth interviews are consistent with the idea that KA patients and family members follow the rational approach of weighing the costs against the benefits of using specific types of medical care.

Conclusion

The process of decision making related to seeking healthcare follows a complex set of steps and many of the potential factors affect the decision making in a non-linear fashion. Our analysis suggests that it is possible to derive a generalized road map of the decision-making process starting from the recognition of healthcare needs, and then modifying it to show the influences of indigenous knowledge, healthcare alternatives, and available resources.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Adhikari et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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