Practice and Associated Factors of Health Professionals towards Citizens’ Charter at Jimma University Medical Center

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Citizens’ Charter is a public promise betweencitizens and service providing organizations which visibly specifiesexpectations and standards in the service delivery. Citizens’ charterstandard has been implemented in Jimma University MedicalCenter since 2016/17. However, the practice and associated factorof citizens’ charter among health professionals have not beenstudied yet. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the practiceof citizens’ charter and associated factors among healthprofessionals.METHODS: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted on389 health care providers, selected through stratified sampling,from April 1 to April 26. Data was collected using a pretestedstructured self-administered questionnaire. Data were entered intoEPI-data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for SocialSciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics, binary andmultivariable logistic regression analysis were done. P-values lessthan 0.05 were used to declare significant association betweendependent and independent variables. In the process ofmultivariable logistic regression analysis, knowledge and attitudevariables were not tested due to low number of respondents to thosespecific variables’ measuring items. Hence, it was difficult todeclare as a predictor at bivariate analysis.RESULT: For this study, the response rate was 92%. Out of all,237(60.9%) professionals were properly practicing citizens’ charterstandard while 152(39.1%) were not properly practicing it. Thefactors affecting the practice were job satisfaction [AOR =7.4,95%CI (4.4, 12.5)], perceived workload [AOR =1.8, 95%CI (1.05,3.0)] and type of profession [AOR=5.4, 95%CI ((1.98, 14.8)].CONCLUSION: This study revealed that more than half of therespondents properly practiced citizens’ charter. However, fewhealth professionals only knew the existence of citizens’ charter.Job satisfaction, perceived workload, and type of profession werethe factors affecting the practice of citizens’ charter.