Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in Nigeria
Background: There is need for information on the medical care seeking behaviour of Nigerian doctors. Purpose: This work was therefore designed to study the medical care seeking behaviour of Nigerian doctors in Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional survey among doctors in Nigeria. Results: Data...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2017-06-01
|
| Series: | Alexandria Journal of Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209050681630029X |
| _version_ | 1818596456775286784 |
|---|---|
| author | A.E. Fawibe L.O. Odeigah T.M. Akande A.G. Salaudeen I. Olanrewaju |
| author_facet | A.E. Fawibe L.O. Odeigah T.M. Akande A.G. Salaudeen I. Olanrewaju |
| author_sort | A.E. Fawibe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: There is need for information on the medical care seeking behaviour of Nigerian doctors.
Purpose: This work was therefore designed to study the medical care seeking behaviour of Nigerian doctors in Nigeria.
Methods: It was a cross-sectional survey among doctors in Nigeria.
Results: Data from 522 doctors were included in the analysis. Majority of them (80.5%) had one form of illness or the other in the year preceding the survey. Only 35% of them reportedly consulted another doctor during their illness. Most of the consultations (61.2%) were informal in the form of over the phone (45.6%), Corridor (33.3%) and home visit (21.1%) and just 18.4% of the consultations occurred within 24 h of onset of illness. A low 19.5% of them had a regular source of medical care. Screening for illnesses was generally below expectation. Just 6 out of the 436 (1.4%) male doctors had screened for prostate cancer while 39 out of 86 (45.3%) females had screened for cervical cancer. A significantly higher proportion of general practitioners (p = 0.01) and doctors above 45 years of age (P = 0.004) consulted informally. Higher proportion of general practitioners and resident doctors based their consultations on their familiarity with the doctors consulted (p = 0.001) and privacy during consultation (p = 0.001). Delay in consultation for more than 24 h after onset of illness was more likely in those above below the age of 45 years (p = 0.001).
Conclusion: This study has shown that Nigerian doctors are often reluctant patients who frequently tend to delay medical care. The teaching of appropriate medical care seeking behaviour should be incorporated into medical curriculum in Nigeria. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:32:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e382c0fd45624784ae8f08185c7e7a87 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2090-5068 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:32:12Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Alexandria Journal of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-e382c0fd45624784ae8f08185c7e7a872022-12-21T22:33:14ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAlexandria Journal of Medicine2090-50682017-06-0153211712210.1016/j.ajme.2016.04.003Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in NigeriaA.E. Fawibe0L.O. Odeigah1T.M. Akande2A.G. Salaudeen3I. Olanrewaju4Department of Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara state, NigeriaDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, NigeriaDepartment of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, NigeriaDepartment of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, NigeriaOlanrewaju Hospital Ilorin, Kwara State, NigeriaBackground: There is need for information on the medical care seeking behaviour of Nigerian doctors. Purpose: This work was therefore designed to study the medical care seeking behaviour of Nigerian doctors in Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional survey among doctors in Nigeria. Results: Data from 522 doctors were included in the analysis. Majority of them (80.5%) had one form of illness or the other in the year preceding the survey. Only 35% of them reportedly consulted another doctor during their illness. Most of the consultations (61.2%) were informal in the form of over the phone (45.6%), Corridor (33.3%) and home visit (21.1%) and just 18.4% of the consultations occurred within 24 h of onset of illness. A low 19.5% of them had a regular source of medical care. Screening for illnesses was generally below expectation. Just 6 out of the 436 (1.4%) male doctors had screened for prostate cancer while 39 out of 86 (45.3%) females had screened for cervical cancer. A significantly higher proportion of general practitioners (p = 0.01) and doctors above 45 years of age (P = 0.004) consulted informally. Higher proportion of general practitioners and resident doctors based their consultations on their familiarity with the doctors consulted (p = 0.001) and privacy during consultation (p = 0.001). Delay in consultation for more than 24 h after onset of illness was more likely in those above below the age of 45 years (p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study has shown that Nigerian doctors are often reluctant patients who frequently tend to delay medical care. The teaching of appropriate medical care seeking behaviour should be incorporated into medical curriculum in Nigeria.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209050681630029XMedical careIllnessBehaviourDoctorsNigeria |
| spellingShingle | A.E. Fawibe L.O. Odeigah T.M. Akande A.G. Salaudeen I. Olanrewaju Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in Nigeria Alexandria Journal of Medicine Medical care Illness Behaviour Doctors Nigeria |
| title | Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in Nigeria |
| title_full | Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in Nigeria |
| title_short | Self-reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in Nigeria |
| title_sort | self reported medical care seeking behaviour of doctors in nigeria |
| topic | Medical care Illness Behaviour Doctors Nigeria |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209050681630029X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aefawibe selfreportedmedicalcareseekingbehaviourofdoctorsinnigeria AT loodeigah selfreportedmedicalcareseekingbehaviourofdoctorsinnigeria AT tmakande selfreportedmedicalcareseekingbehaviourofdoctorsinnigeria AT agsalaudeen selfreportedmedicalcareseekingbehaviourofdoctorsinnigeria AT iolanrewaju selfreportedmedicalcareseekingbehaviourofdoctorsinnigeria |