Patients’ Rights Charter Adoption among Healthcare Professionals in Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi City County, Kenya.
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Date
2025-12
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Since 1946, health has been recognized as a basic human right in the World Health Organization’s Constitution and it is the organization’s purpose for all. While progress has been made in achieving the right to health, there are still substantial gaps. There are no documented studies that illustrate the factors that influence healthcare professionals' adoption of the 2013 Patients' Rights Charter in Kenya, specifically in the study area. This study's main goal was to investigate the factors that influence healthcare professionals at Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi City County, Kenya, to adopt the Patients' Rights Charter of 2013. This study therefore examined the determinants of the adoption of the Charter among healthcare professionals at Mbagathi Hospital. The study was guided by the following study objectives; to identify the individual factors associated with the adoption of the Patients’ Right Charter, to determine the level of awareness of the Charter and to ascertain healthcare system characteristics linked to the adoption of the Charter all among healthcare professionals at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi City County, Kenya. A quantitative and qualitative methodology in a descriptive cross-sectional research design was used for data collection, whereby a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the selected healthcare professionals. Stratified sampling method from Yamane's (1967) was used to select the desired sample in each of the cadres of healthcare professionals. The study targeted 186 healthcare professionals who were chosen purposively. The results indicated that the average of the female respondents was 96 (51.6%), respondents aged 20–30 had 101 (54.3%), and medical doctors had 37 (19.9%) adopted patients’ rights charter in public health facilities. The respondents’ level of education was, however, statistically significant with a p-value of 0.002. Majority 174 (93.5%) of the respondents were aware that the Kenyan constitution contains a Patients’ Rights Charter. While 135 (72.6%) said there were challenges that hindered the full adoption of patients’ rights, which included the large number of patients in the facility, 112 (61%), 34 (18%) as a lack of equipment and 10 (5%) as incompetent staff in the facility. Most of the Healthcare system factors were statistically significant such as workload (P = 0.014), workload effect (P=0.052), confidential handling of patient/client communications and records (P = 0.003), information provided to patients (P = 0.007), adequate workspace (P = 0.007), a copy of patients' rights and responsibilities offered to patients (P = 0.000), parties involved in the disputes (P =0.003), hospital investigated for medical legal issues (P = 0.050), issues resolution (P = 0.018), and documentation implementing the Kenyan Charter for Patients' Rights (P = 0.00), thus correlated with the adoption of the Charter. According to the study's findings, respondents appeared to be familiar with the patients' rights, but they faced several obstacles that prevented them from completely embracing the charter at the public hospital. Therefore, recommend that, to safeguard patients' legal rights and deliver quality care to them, all healthcare stakeholders have thorough awareness of healthcare hurdles. The government should ensure that healthcare professionals have the tools and information required
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Master of Science in Health Management in the Department of Health Management and Informatics, School of Health Sciences of Kenyatta University, December 2024
Supervisors;
1.Peter Kithuka
2.Kenneth Rucha