Study Findings from University of Ibadan Provide New Insights into International Health (The Bypassing of Healthcare Facilities Among National Health Insurance Scheme Enrollees In Ibadan, Nigeria)

2021 AUG 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Business Daily -- Fresh data on Health and Medicine - International Health are presented in a new report. According to news reporting originating in Ibadan, Nigeria, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Bypassing occurs when patients knowingly visit a health facility other than the one they Live nearest to. In Ibadan, southwest Nigeria, the majority of enrollees in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) receive medical care in just 12% of the available NHIS-accredited facilities.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the University of Ibadan, “Given that enrollees access healthcare services at highly subsidized rates under the scheme, this study aimed to determine the factors responsible for the observed distribution of enrollees across these health facilities. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted among NHIS enrollees receiving care at outpatient departments of five randomly selected accredited health facilities in Ibadan. A total of 311 NHIS enrollees were consecutively recruited and a semistructured, pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information from respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present results at 5% Level of significance. Distance traveled by patients from their residence to the facilities was measured using Google maps. The mean age of respondents was 37.1 +/- 16.1 y. There were 167 (53.7%) males and 224 (72.3%) were married. The bypassing rate was 174 (55.3%). More than a third of enrollees, 127 (41.0%), reported that their hospital choice was made based on physician referral, 130 (41.8%) based on personal choice, 26 (8.4%) based upon the recommendation of the Health Management Organization (HMO), while 27 (8.7%) were influenced by friends/family/colleagues. Bypassing was positively associated with educational status (X-2 = 13.147, p=0.004). Respondents who bypassed expended additional time and money traveling to the farther away hospitals, 35.1 (+/- 34.66) min and 389.51 (+/- 545.21) naira per visit, respectively. The Level of bypassing among enrollees was fairly high. Enrollees should be properly guided regarding the need to access healthcare in facilities closer to them by their HMOs and physicians in the case of referrals.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “This will reduce bypassing and the cost of travel Leading to better outcomes among enrollees.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: The Bypassing of Healthcare Facilities Among National Health Insurance Scheme Enrollees In Ibadan, Nigeria. International Health, 2021;13(3):291-296. International Health can be contacted at: Oxford Univ Press, Great Clarendon St, Oxford OX2 6DP, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; International Health - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-health/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Adetola O. Oladimeji, University of Ibadan, Faculty of Public Health, Dept. of Health Policy and Management, Ibadan, Nigeria. Additional authors for this research include David A. Adewole and Folashayo Adeniji.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihaa063. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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