Factors influencing utilization of physiotherapy services by patients and people living with disability at Busia County Referral Hospital in Kenya

Abstract

Background Physiotherapy, a component of primary health care, could be a remedy for physical challenges permeating widely in the world community due to non-communicable diseases trauma and infections.

Objectives To establish the level of knowledge about physiotherapy and the association between level of knowledge and demographic profile among people living with disabilities and physiotherapy patients and how it influences utilization of physiotherapy services in Busia, Kenya.

Method This was a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study. One hundred fifty-eight participants were involved. Physiotherapy patients and people living with disabilities male and female above 18 years were purposively selected, and they completed self-administered questionnaires between August and November 2019. Data was cleaned, organized, and scientifically analyzed.

Results Most of patients and PWD (67%) attended treatment sessions once a week only as there is inadequacy to meet their needs of treatment and it is difficult for them (87.42%) to recommend physiotherapy to others for they had lower level of knowledge of the importance of physiotherapy. The main challenge for patients and PWD to attend physiotherapy was lack of money (55.71%) and distance to hospital (63.3%).

Conclusion Lower utilization of physiotherapy services in Busia County could be due to inadequate knowledge about physiotherapy, lack of finances to pay for physiotherapy, attitude of the health care providers towards physiotherapy, and inadequate infrastructure. There is a need to create awareness about physiotherapy and integrate physiotherapy service at all levels of practice of the components of primary health care in order for Busia community to benefit