ArticleBMC health services research2025
Healthcare utilisation among people living with sickle cell disease in the Upper West Region of Ghana.
Article in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Analgesic Utilization Pattern and Cost of Managing Children with Sickle Cell Diseases: a Retrospective Single-site Audit.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundSickle Cell Disease (SCD) accounts for significant mortalities and hospitalisations in Ghana. It is characterised by acute and chronic complications that often require immediate and easy access to appropriate healthcare services, including emergency, in-patient, and non-preventive care. Poor access to healthcare services and healthcare-seeking behaviour are responsible for most SCD-preventable deaths. The determinants of healthcare service use among people living with SCD should be identified and addressed. Thus, the study investigated the accessibility and utilisation of healthcare services and its determinants among people living with SCD in the Upper West Region.
methodsThis cross-sectional study involved 248 people with SCD in the Upper West Region accessing healthcare at the Wa Municipal Hospital's Sickle Cell Unit, selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Data collected were collected using a pretested questionnaire and analysed using SPSS v22.0. The analysis included descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, and a logistic regression test at a 95% confidence interval with significance set at p < 0.05.
results58% had poor access to healthcare facilities providing SCD care, and 92% had used healthcare services regularly within the last 12 months. Health problems responsible for most hospital visits were painful crises (96.5%), fever (96.0%), acute respiratory problems (85.1%), pneumonia and influenza (74.2%), and acute otitis media (32.6%) in the last 12 months. Service utilisation was predicted by being aged 40 + (AOR = 12.6, 95%CI = 1.40-113.81) and considering the distance to health facilities as very close (AOR = 0.03, 95%CI = 0.00-0.98).
conclusionsThere was significantly poor access to healthcare facilities providing SCD care Healthcare service use was high and influenced by personal health problems and social factors. Healthcare infrastructure and training of specialists should be increased to improve accessibility, service availability, utilisation, and quality of care.
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