Assessing Rural Residents' Perspectives on Healthcare Infrastructure, Access and Quality of Care: A Survey-Based Study in Anaocha LGA, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Rural residents face numerous challenges, including inadequate healthcare infrastructure, limited access, and suboptimal quality of care, which leads to health disparities compared to urban populations. Objectives: To determine the rural residents' perspectives on healthcare infrastructure, access, and quality of care. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 306 eligible rural residents from Anaocha Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria was conducted after obtaining approval from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Health Research Ethics Committee. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique, and data were collected using pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaires. Analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 27.0 (IBM Inc., Armonk, New York, United States), with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Results: This study involved 306 residents aged 15 to 65, comprising 116 males (38%) and 190 females (62%). A significant portion (66.7%) reported challenges in accessing healthcare services, primarily due to long waiting times (150, 50%) and high costs (51, 16.7%). Regarding healthcare facility visits, 50% attended sometimes, while 33.3% did so occasionally. The majority (83.3%) rated the quality of care as 'Neutral,' indicating potential areas for improvement in healthcare services to enhance patient satisfaction. Conclusion: The study reveals that rural residents face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, notably long waiting times and high costs, which lead to infrequent service use and neutral perceptions of care quality. Addressing these issues is essential to improving healthcare access and patient satisfaction in rural communities.