The role of Community Engagement on Compassionate, Respectful and Caring health service: Perceived effectiveness among health staff in the health system of Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Even though health staffs’ attitudes have been identified as a main factor in influencing the proper functioning of community engagement, evidences showed that perception of health workers about community engagement for improving the Compassionate Respectful and Caring (CRC) service is very low in Ethiopia. The study aimed to explore the health staffs’ perception towards community engagement for the improvement of CRC in Sululta district, Oromia special zone, Ethiopia.

Methods: A phenomenological study design was used. The Key Informant Interviews and an in-depth interview were conducted with a total of 20 participants using an interview guide. A thematic analysis was done guided by ATLAS Ti-8 qualitative data management software.

Results:  Two staffs’ perspectives on the role of community engagement in improving CRC have identified. Many participants mentioned that community engagement has a role in the success of the CRC. Some of the main justifications of the participants who believed in community engagement effectiveness in improving CRC were: it enables the public to inform health service gaps, strengthened bond/trust among community and health facilities, and build a sense of ownership among the public and health facilities. On the other hand, some argued that community engagement does not improve the CRC. Participants who doubted the effectiveness of community engagements mentioned the lack of necessary infrastructure and medical supplies as the main reason.

Conclusion: Many participants in this study recognized the benefits of community participation for the improvement of the CRC. This study identified different ways in which the community can engage to improve the CRC services. Among the effective ways of community engagement that participant in this study believed are: 1) The community can provide constructive feedback that helps health facilities address CRC-related gaps.  2) The public can create conducive conditions for CRC improvement through material or financial contributions. 3)  A sense of trust and respect can be strengthened among health care providers and clients through a series of public forums.  4) The community can monitor the health care provision by caregivers at health facilities. The findings of this study revealed opportunities to design a variety of strategies to improve the CRC through community engagement. However, it is important to address some of the challenges raised such as shortage of medical supply, and lack of basic infrastructure.