Utilization Of Primary Healthcare Services Among Public Health Workers in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

Proactive use of healthcare facilities is one of the healthy habits that public health workers are supposed to model as frontline providers. This study focused on the utilization of primary healthcare services among public health workers in Port Harcourt metropolis, Nigeria. Literature was reviewed under conceptual framework, theoretical framework and empirical review. This study adopted the cross-sectional research design with a population consisting of all primary health care workers in Port Harcourt in Rivers State. A sample size of 400 was selected using a systematic sampling procedure. Data was collected with a questionnaire and analyzed with percentage, mean and paired sample t-test at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed that: majority 315(80.6%) had ever used primary health center for personal health needs, 284(72.6%) had on‑site PHC clinic as the first choice to visit when they are ill, and 315(80.6%) knew exactly where to go when there is need for care at PHC facility. More of the respondents (42.7%) often used the PHC for follow‑up on a chronic condition (e.g., hypertension), 160(40.9%) rarely visited the PHC for acute illnesses (e.g., fever, malaria), and 163(41.7%) rarely attended a routine check‑up or screening at the PHC. The perception of service quality by public health workers in Port Harcourt Metropolis was positive (2.77±0.92). It was concluded that, the utilization of primary healthcare services among public health workers in Port Harcourt metropolis was high. It was recommended among others that the government should monitor the cost at which the healthcare services are delivered by setting up a special monitoring team who will promptly visits the health facilities to elicit response from users on the cost of services; this will reduce the rate of exploitation by the workers.