ArticleBMJ open2019
Performance of primary care in different healthcare facilities: a cross-sectional study of patients' experiences in Southern Malawi.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Assessing the effectiveness of the integrated sample referral system in Tanzania: insights from a nationwide study.European journal of public health · 2026Article
- Healthcare service user-reported quality of care in Malawi: a national multifacility cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Primary care performance in a Ugandan rural district: a cross-sectional descriptive study.BJGP open · 2025Article
- From idea to systems solution: enhancing access to primary care in Malawi.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Factors associated with self-rated health in primary care in the South-Western health zone of Malawi.BMC primary care · 2022Article
- Evaluation of the first level of care for tuberculosis control in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2021Article
- [Evaluation of the first level of care for tuberculosis control in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaAvaliação da atenção primária à saúde no controle da tuberculose em Buenos Aires, Argentina].Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveIn most African countries, primary care is delivered through a district health system. Many factors, including staffing levels, staff experience, availability of equipment and facility management, affect the quality of primary care between and within countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of primary care in different types of public health facilities in Southern Malawi. STUDY
designThis was a cross-sectional quantitative study.
settingThe study was conducted in 12 public primary care facilities in Neno, Blantyre and Thyolo districts in July 2018.
participantsPatients aged ≥18 years, excluding the severely ill, were selected to participate in the study. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: We used the Malawian primary care assessment tool to conduct face-to-face interviews. Analysis of variance at 0.05 significance level was performed to compare primary care dimension means and total primary care scores. Linear regression models at 95% CI were used to assess associations between primary care dimension scores, patients' characteristics and healthcare setting.
resultsThe final number of respondents was 962 representing 96.1% response rate. Patients in Neno hospitals scored 3.77 points higher than those in Thyolo health centres, and 2.87 higher than those in Blantyre health centres in total primary care performance. Primary care performance in health centres and in hospital clinics was similar in Neno (20.9 vs 19.0, p=0.608) while in Thyolo, it was higher at the hospital than at the health centres (19.9 vs 15.2, p<0.001). Urban and rural facilities showed a similar pattern of performance.
conclusionThese results showed considerable variation in experiences among primary care users in the public health facilities in Malawi. Factors such as funding, policy and clinic-level interventions influence patients' reports of primary care performance. These factors should be further examined in longitudinal and experimental settings.
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