SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FACTORS AFFECTING PHYSICIAN-PATIENT INTERACTION: THE CASE OF HARAMAYA GENERAL HOSPITAL, MAYA CITY, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the socioeconomic and cultural factors affecting the interaction between doctors and patients in Haramaya general hospital, Maya City, Oromia regional state. In order to achieve the study's goal, a descriptive cross-sectional research design was used, which combines a quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The quantitative data was collected from 384 respondents through questionnaires and qualitative data were collected from medical director and two physicians of the hospitals management team member through key informant and in-depth interview tools of data collection. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics in the form of tables, frequency distribution and percent. The qualitative data from respondents through key informants and in-depth interviews was analyzed through careful interpretation of meaning based on the objectives of the study. Previous studies have focused largely on waiting time, cost of the treatment, patient satisfaction and not much has been documented on in-patient outcome of health care seeking in tertiary institution from the point of view of the patient themselves. This study, investigated the socio-economic and cultural factors that affect physician-patient interaction focused on in-patient case with care in Haramaya general hospital, Maya City, Oromia National Regional State. As the study indicated, as a result of socio-economic and cultural factors, the interaction between patients and physicians were poor and patients faced the problems of poor communication, they did not have a good relationship with their physicians in medical care. It is recommended that physicians and hospital management bodies should pay proper attention to how to interact with patients in order to eliminate the unfavorable conditions affecting the physician-patient interaction and consider the patients socioeconomic status and cultural issues related to health care during consultation with their patients.