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Background <p>Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) accounts for significant mortalities and hospitalisations in Ghana. It is characterised by acute and chronic complications that often require immediate and easy access to appropriate healthcare services, including emergency, in-patient, and non-preventive care. Poor access to healthcare services and healthcare-seeking behaviour are responsible for most SCD-preventable deaths. The determinants of healthcare service use among people living with SCD should be identified and addressed. Thus, the study investigated the accessibility and utilisation of healthcare services and its determinants among people living with SCD in the Upper West Region.</p> Methods <p>This cross-sectional study involved 248 people with SCD in the Upper West Region accessing healthcare at the Wa Municipal Hospital’s Sickle Cell Unit, selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data collected were collected using a pretested questionnaire and analysed using SPSS v22.0. The analysis included descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, and a logistic regression test at a 95% confidence interval with significance set at <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05.</p> Results <p>58% had poor access to healthcare facilities providing SCD care, and 92% had used healthcare services regularly within the last 12&#xa0;months. Health problems responsible for most hospital visits were painful crises (96.5%), fever (96.0%), acute respiratory problems (85.1%), pneumonia and influenza (74.2%), and acute otitis media (32.6%) in the last 12&#xa0;months. Service utilisation was predicted by being aged 40 + (AOR = 12.6, 95%CI = 1.40–113.81) and considering the distance to health facilities as very close (AOR = 0.03, 95%CI = 0.00–0.98).</p> Conclusions <p>There was significantly poor access to healthcare facilities providing SCD care Healthcare service use was high and influenced by personal health problems and social factors. Healthcare infrastructure and training of specialists should be increased to improve accessibility, service availability, utilisation, and quality of care.</p>

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Healthcare utilisation among people living with sickle cell disease in the Upper West Region of Ghana

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月25日

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  • Clement Luciano Momore,
  • Farrukh Ishaque Saah,
  • Hubert Amu,
  • Andrews Adjei Druye

摘要

Background

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) accounts for significant mortalities and hospitalisations in Ghana. It is characterised by acute and chronic complications that often require immediate and easy access to appropriate healthcare services, including emergency, in-patient, and non-preventive care. Poor access to healthcare services and healthcare-seeking behaviour are responsible for most SCD-preventable deaths. The determinants of healthcare service use among people living with SCD should be identified and addressed. Thus, the study investigated the accessibility and utilisation of healthcare services and its determinants among people living with SCD in the Upper West Region.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 248 people with SCD in the Upper West Region accessing healthcare at the Wa Municipal Hospital’s Sickle Cell Unit, selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data collected were collected using a pretested questionnaire and analysed using SPSS v22.0. The analysis included descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, and a logistic regression test at a 95% confidence interval with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results

58% had poor access to healthcare facilities providing SCD care, and 92% had used healthcare services regularly within the last 12 months. Health problems responsible for most hospital visits were painful crises (96.5%), fever (96.0%), acute respiratory problems (85.1%), pneumonia and influenza (74.2%), and acute otitis media (32.6%) in the last 12 months. Service utilisation was predicted by being aged 40 + (AOR = 12.6, 95%CI = 1.40–113.81) and considering the distance to health facilities as very close (AOR = 0.03, 95%CI = 0.00–0.98).

Conclusions

There was significantly poor access to healthcare facilities providing SCD care Healthcare service use was high and influenced by personal health problems and social factors. Healthcare infrastructure and training of specialists should be increased to improve accessibility, service availability, utilisation, and quality of care.