Health care seeking in modern urban LMIC settings: evidence from Lusaka, Zambia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In an effort to improve population health, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have expanded access to public primary care facilities and removed user fees for services in these facilities. However, a growing literature suggests that many patients bypass nearby primary care facilities to seek care at more distant or higher-level facilities. Patients in urban areas, a growing segment of the population in LMICs, generally have more options for where to seek care than patients in rural areas. However, evidence on care-seeking trajectories and bypassing patterns in urban areas remains relatively scarce.

Methods

We obtained a complete list of public health facilities and interviewed randomly selected informal sector households across 31 urban areas in Lusaka

SUBMITTER: Clarke-Deelder E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9202228 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature