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Do prevailing theories sufficiently explain perceptions and health‐seeking behavior of Ghanaians?
Author(s) -
Fenenga Christine J.,
Boahene Kwasi,
Arhinful Daniel,
Wit Tobias Rinke,
Hutter Inge
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the international journal of health planning and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-1751
pISSN - 0749-6753
DOI - 10.1002/hpm.2159
Subject(s) - perception , national health interview survey , health care , health insurance , national health insurance , business , value (mathematics) , health sector , public economics , actuarial science , qualitative research , economic growth , marketing , economics , sociology , psychology , health services , medicine , environmental health , population , social science , neuroscience , machine learning , computer science
SUMMARY The challenges faced by African countries that have pioneered a national health insurance scheme (NHIS) and the lessons learned can be of great value to other countries, contemplating the introduction of such a health financing system. In 2003, Ghana initiated the NHIS to provide access to healthcare for people in both the formal and informal sectors. The paper assesses the applicability of four theoretical models to explain the perceptions and decisions of Ghanaians to participate in the NHIS. To contextualize these models, we used qualitative data from individual and group interviews of Ghanaians. These interviews form part of the study “towards a client‐oriented health insurance system in Ghana” to explain the uptake of the Ghanaian social health insurance. The paper argues for a new integrated model to provide a better understanding of clients' perceptions on illness, healthcare and health insurance. Such a model should highlight trust as a fundamental factor influencing the decision of Ghanaians to enroll in the NHIS. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.