ArticleBMC health services research2019
Understanding healthcare provider absenteeism in Kenya: a qualitative analysis.
Article in BMC health services research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Organisational factors associated with implementing action plans informed by routine health information system data in Mozambique: longitudinal analyses, 2016-2020.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Comparative perceptions of wait times for family planning services among contraceptive users and mystery clients in Kisumu, Kenya: a mixed methods analysis.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Absenteeism of Healthcare Workers in Primary Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review.The International journal of health planning and management · 2025Article
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Program in Bungoma County, Kenya.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2025Article
- Review
- Health workforce incentives and dis-incentives during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences from Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- How much could health worker absenteeism impact health outcomes? A modeling study of malaria in Kenya.Oxford open digital health · 2024Article
- Findings from a mixed-methods journey map study of barriers to family planning in western Kenya.Health care for women international · 2024Article
- Contraceptive stockouts in Western Kenya: a mixed-methods mystery client study.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Psychometric evaluation of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 among community health volunteers and nurses/midwives in Kenya following a nation-wide telephonic survey.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Frequency and impact of long wait times for family planning in public-sector healthcare facilities in Western Kenya.Global health action · 2022Article
- The gendered drivers of absenteeism in the Nigerian health system.Health policy and planning · 2022Article
- Leveraging mHealth usage logs to inform health worker performance in a Resource-Limited setting: Case example of mUzima use for a chronic disease program in Western Kenya.PLOS digital health · 2022Article
- Absenteeism among family planning providers: a mixed-methods study in western Kenya.Health policy and planning · 2022Article
- "Even though they insult us, the delivery they give us is the greatest thing": a qualitative study contextualizing women's experiences with facility-based maternal health care in Ethiopia.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Article
- Article
- Health Worker Absenteeism in Selected Health Facilities in Enugu State: Do Internal and External Supervision Matter?Frontiers in public health · 2021Article
- Extending the measurement of quality beyond service delivery indicators.BMJ global health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundHealthcare worker absenteeism is common in resource limited settings and contributes to poor quality of care in maternal and child health service delivery. There is a dearth of qualitative information on the scope, contributing factors, and impact of absenteeism in Kenyan healthcare facilities.
methodsIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between July 2015 and June 2016 with 20 healthcare providers in public and private healthcare facilities in Central and Western Kenya. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using an iterative thematic approach.
resultsHalf of providers reported that absenteeism occurs in both private and public health facilities. Absenteeism was most commonly characterized by providers arriving late or leaving early during scheduled work hours. The practice was attributed to institutional issues including: infrequent supervision, lack of professional consequences, limited accountability, and low wages. In some cases, healthcare workers were frequently absent because they held multiple positions at different health facilities. Provider absences result in increased patient wait times and may deter patients from seeking healthcare in the future.
conclusionThere is a significant need for policies and programs to reduce provider absenteeism in Kenya. Intervention approaches must be cognizant of the contributors to absenteeism which occur at the institutional level.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.