Occurrence and motivations for referral and data reporting among informal healthcare providers in urban informal settlements in Southeast Nigeria.

IF 2.4 4区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

International Health Pub Date : 2026-07-15 DOI:10.1093/inthealth/ihag073

Ifeyinwa Arize, Pamela Adaobi Ogbozor, Chinelo Obi, Divine N Obodoechi, Benard Chibuike Okechi, Chinyere Mbachu, Obinna Onwujekwe, Helen Elsey

{"title":"Occurrence and motivations for referral and data reporting among informal healthcare providers in urban informal settlements in Southeast Nigeria.","authors":"Ifeyinwa Arize, Pamela Adaobi Ogbozor, Chinelo Obi, Divine N Obodoechi, Benard Chibuike Okechi, Chinyere Mbachu, Obinna Onwujekwe, Helen Elsey","doi":"10.1093/inthealth/ihag073","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Objectives: Establishing effective systems that enable informal healthcare providers (IHPs) to refer complicated cases and share service data with the formal health system is essential for improving quality services and coordination.Methods: This qualitative study explored the motivations of IHPs to refer patients and share health information in eight urban informal settlements in two eastern states, Enugu and Anambra in Nigeria. Data were collected through 32 in-depth interviews with purposively selected IHPs.Results: Findings revealed that IHPs refer patients and share some patient information. However, the recording and sharing of patients' data was uncommon among most IHPs. Altruism was reported by IHPs as a motivator for improving care and linking with the formal sector to save lives. However, there are ad hoc and unsystematic links between formal and informal providers.Conclusion: Understanding these motivations is vital for designing strategies to strengthen collaboration and establish sustainable referral and data-sharing systems within Nigeria's mixed health system.","PeriodicalId":49060,"journal":{"name":"International Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihag073","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: Establishing effective systems that enable informal healthcare providers (IHPs) to refer complicated cases and share service data with the formal health system is essential for improving quality services and coordination.

Methods: This qualitative study explored the motivations of IHPs to refer patients and share health information in eight urban informal settlements in two eastern states, Enugu and Anambra in Nigeria. Data were collected through 32 in-depth interviews with purposively selected IHPs.

Results: Findings revealed that IHPs refer patients and share some patient information. However, the recording and sharing of patients' data was uncommon among most IHPs. Altruism was reported by IHPs as a motivator for improving care and linking with the formal sector to save lives. However, there are ad hoc and unsystematic links between formal and informal providers.

Conclusion: Understanding these motivations is vital for designing strategies to strengthen collaboration and establish sustainable referral and data-sharing systems within Nigeria's mixed health system.

查看原文本刊更多论文

尼日利亚东南部城市非正规住区非正规卫生保健提供者转诊和数据报告的发生率和动机。

目标：建立有效的系统，使非正规卫生保健提供者（IHPs）能够转诊复杂病例并与正规卫生系统共享服务数据，这对于提高服务质量和协调至关重要。方法：本定性研究探讨了在尼日利亚东部埃努古和阿南布拉两个州的八个城市非正式住区中，IHPs转诊患者和分享健康信息的动机。数据收集通过32个深度访谈有目的地选择ihp。结果：研究结果表明，IHPs会转诊患者，并分享一些患者信息。然而，患者数据的记录和共享在大多数IHPs中并不常见。据卫生保健机构报告，利他主义是改善护理和与正规部门联系以拯救生命的动力。但是，在正式提供者和非正式提供者之间存在着特别的和非系统的联系。结论：了解这些动机对于在尼日利亚混合卫生系统内设计加强合作和建立可持续转诊和数据共享系统的战略至关重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Health PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： International Health is an official journal of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. It publishes original, peer-reviewed articles and reviews on all aspects of global health including the social and economic aspects of communicable and non-communicable diseases, health systems research, policy and implementation, and the evaluation of disease control programmes and healthcare delivery solutions. It aims to stimulate scientific and policy debate and provide a forum for analysis and opinion sharing for individuals and organisations engaged in all areas of global health.