Household’s Choice of Healthcare Provider in Kenya

People respond in different manners to various injuries or illnesses. Factors that influence response to illness or injuries are usually categorized into enabling factors, predisposing factors and perceived factors. These responses are self-treatment, seeking healthcare services from professional healthcare providers (private, public and mission healthcare facilities), seeking treatment from traditional healers and not seeking treatment at all. Despite an increase in the utilization rate of healthcare facilities, there is still a high prevalence of self-treatment among households in Kenya. This article, therefore, aims to examine the factors that influence household’s choice of the healthcare provider by making use of national household survey data subjected to multinomial probit regression analysis. The article evidences that severity of illness, wealth, health insurance, distance, employment status, education as well as place of residence influences household’s choice of healthcare provider. This implies that government should institute policies aimed at creating employment opportunities, promoting education, construction of additional healthcare facilities and encouraging more households to have health insurance covers.