Factors Influencing Out – Patients’ Choice of a Health Facility in Nyamagana District, Mwanza, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined the factors of patients’ choice of a health facility from selected medical dispensaries in Mwanza. The study advanced four specific objectives, however, this paper addresses two of them namely (i) to examine the influence of quality of service on patients’ choice of health facility among non-insured outpatients (ii) to examine the influence of facility physical location on patients’ choice of health facility among non-insured outpatients. The study adopted a positivism research design where data was collected through a survey of 238 respondents. The study was guided by two theories, the stochastic model and the consumer buying process model. Data was analyzed into descriptive and inferential statistics especially EFA, ANOVA, and Multiple Regression. Multiple Regression results revealed that all two variables were significant showing that they were good predictors of the choice of health facilities among the selected medical dispensaries. In summary, the results showed that quality of services facility-physical location, and hospital infrastructure and equipment were significant variables for the choice of health facilities among non-insured outpatients. The study contributes to the literature, policymakers, and academicians by informing stakeholders in health sectors on the items that consumers who are patients value the most to foster the better provision of healthcare services.