JOURNAL OF LIAONING TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

PERCEPTION OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TOWARD PATIENT PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN KANO, NIGERIA

BALARABE Ibrahim Gaya, UMAR Aliyu, Dr. REGIDOR III Poblete Dioso, ADENIYI, Sarafadeen Diran (Ph.D)

Abstract

Patient-centered healthcare refers to the provision of care that aims to address the needs and preferences of patients. In recent decades, there has been a noticeable shift in the healthcare sector towards a more patient-centered approach, encouraging active participation from patients in their healthcare decisions. The objectives of this study are to ascertain patients' preferences regarding their involvement in healthcare decision-making and assess healthcare professionals' attitudes toward patient participation in decision-making A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed, focusing on healthcare professionals and patients .The study sample comprised a total of 720 respondents, Two instruments: the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) and the Control Preferences Scale were used for healthcare professionals and patients respectively. Basic descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, percentages, and means, t-tests and Pearson's chi-square tests was used for hypothesis testing. Mean age of patients was 43.2±14.2 years, female (62.2%), married (77.8%) and working as civil servants (30.4%). The mean age of healthcare professionals was 38.7±9.0 years. Sixty percent of patients preferred a passive role in healthcare decision-making, while 96.5% of healthcare professionals exhibited a positive attitude towards patient involvement in healthcare decision-making. The mean score of Nurses on the Overall PPOS was 75.9±9.3, whereas that of medical doctors was 72.4±8.0. A significant statistical relationship was observed between the years of working experience of healthcare professionals and patient involvement in healthcare decisions (r = 0.160; p = 0.005). The study concluded that healthcare professionals displayed a favourable perception towards patients’ involvement in healthcare decision-making

Keywords: Decision-making, Healthcare, Perception, Professionals