The Effect of Provider-Related Factors on Healthcare Utilization in the Upper East Region of Ghana: The Mediating Role of Marketing Strategies

Abstract

This study investigates the mediating role of marketing strategies on the relationships between healthcare provider-related factors and patients' healthcare utilization. Adopting a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative design, the study utilizes a survey method to collect responses from 322 sampled healthcare professionals, using simple random sampling from a population of 1980 who work in public clinics and Community Health Planning Services (CHPS). The theory underpinning this study is the Andersen Behavioural Model of Health Service Utilization. Structural Equation Modelling technique was adopted to analyze and test the hypotheses. The study revealed that provider-related factors significantly and positively influenced healthcare utilization (β = 0.355, t = 3.406, p < 0.001). Furthermore, provider-related factors also had a direct and positive relationship with marketing strategies (β = 0.534, t = 7.283, p = 0.000). Marketing strategies also significantly and positively influenced healthcare utilization (β = 0.432, t = 5.366, p = 0.000). Conversely, the moderating influence of provider-related factors on the relationship between marketing strategies and healthcare utilization was significant (β = 0.456, t = 4.892, p = 0.000). The study concludes that marketing strategies mediate the relationship between provider-related factors and healthcare utilization. Thus, it is recommended that integrating marketing strategies into health planning and healthcare delivery by managers of health institutions can strengthen and facilitate health promotion and education.