dc.description.abstract | The study was conducted in the period between August and September 2003.
The objective of the study was to find out the criteria used by Nairobi residents
in their selection of private doctor service.
Primary data for this study was gathered from 99 respondents selected from five
middle-income estates in Nairobi. The respondents were selected through
systematic random sampling.
The primary data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire that
contained several aspects that the researcher considered to be influential in the
selection of doctors. This comprised of information sources, information types
)
and factors considered in the selection of doctors.
The major findings of the study were as follows:
That; other doctors, other healthcare professionals, family members and friends
are the most important sources of information when deciding on the doctor to
consult.
The doctor's reputation both among other doctors and own patients, length and
type of experience and fees charged de the important types of information that
patients seek when evaluating whether the doctor nreets their requirements.
The mam factors that the patients consider identified by the survey were:
Convenience, human touch, credentials, personality associations, keenness or
alertness, freshness and peer (other doctors) approval.
The researcher suggested that future research could focus by doctor
specialization, differences when selecting a doctor for self or for ones child and
qualitative details about the criteria used by patients in the selection of doctors. | en |