Factors associated with self-reported willingness to transfer medical care to local health centers among patients with non-communicable diseases consulting at the UP-PGH Family Medicine Clinic

ABSTRACT

Background@#Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which are mainly primary care conditions, are ideally managed in local health centers (LHCs). However, majority of patients with NCDs utilize tertiary hospitals.@*Objectives@#To determine factors associated with willingness of patients with NCDs consulting at the UP-PGH Family Medicine Clinic (FMC), a hospital-based primary care clinic, to transfer medical care to local health centers.@*Methods@#A cross-sectional study using a 5-part, interview-assisted questionnaire was conducted among 380 patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus. Data were analyzed using SPSS and STATA.@*Results@#Respondents had a low degree of willingness to transfer medical care to health centers at 32% (SD ± 21). Significant predictors include being married, presence of hypertension, PhilHealth coverage, satisfaction with waiting time and perception of appropriate service delivery at FMC.@*Conclusion@#Patients with NCDs consulting at FMC had low willingness to transfer to local health centers. Moreover, there was low utilization of local health centers despite awareness of presence of LHCs in the community. Almost all viewed that NCDs are best managed in a hospital-based outpatient clinic rather than the health center, consistent with perceptions of higher quality of service delivery and higher service satisfaction in the FMC. Sociodemographic, economic and health system factors were identified to affect willingness to transfer.