OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "James, Batuka"

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Factors influencing the price of medical services : a survey of the pricing behaviour of private medical providers in Kampala, Uganda
(2004) James, Batuka; Okorafor, Okore; Thiede, Michael
Understanding the pricing behaviour of medical providers in private clinics is important for the effective regulation of the private sector and ensuring that there is no extortion of patients. There is a global trend to encourage delivery of health services by the private sector reducing the public role to stewardship. Understanding the factors that inﬂuence the price of medical services in an out of pocket setting is important in designing strategies necessary to control the price of medical care. The study investigated the factors that inﬂuenced the price of medical services in Kampala district, Uganda. The respondents reported cost of drugs given to patients (type and dose of drug), other overhead expenditures, type of disease, income status of the patient and need to make proﬁt as factors which influence the price of medical services. On regression analysis, it was found that rent was a signiﬁcant factor on the price of medical services across all disease conditions. It was concluded that governments need to put in place effective regulatory mechanisms to ensure proper functioning of the private health sector.