Quality Assessment of Primary Health Care Delivered to Children under 5 Years Old in North West-Bank / Palestine

Background: In lower and middle-income countries, primary health care works as a first point of contact between population and health care system. Most of these countries concentrate on health care center size rather than quality of health services delivered, wherever, good health care system performance leads to good health indicators (8). Study aim: this study aim to assess and evaluate the quality of primary health care delivered to children under 5 in North West Bank / Palestine, utilizing the IMCI as theoretical guideline for conducting this study. Method: a cross sectional study was conducted in PHC clinics at three selected areas in North West Bank (Jenin, Tubas, Nablus). A close-ended questionnaire using likert scale consisted of three parts (caregiver, health worker, and clinic infrastructure part). All primary health care clinics distributed in (Jenin, Tubas, Nablus) were included in the study (83), convenient sample of health workers (216) and child caregivers (133). Results: Place of living related significantly to perceptions of caregivers quality assessment in general satisfaction dimension only (P<0.05), caregivers in villages were satisfied about health service. Whereas, caregivers education level was also related significantly with perceptions of caregivers quality assessment in general satisfaction and counseling dimensions (P<0.05). Caregiver-child relation, waiting time, and duration of receiving primary health care services were not related to the perceptions of caregivers in all dimensions (P>0.05). Health workers' gender related significantly (P<0.05) on perceptions of health workers quality assessment in quality of administration and training dimensions; males were not in agree on quality assessment for primary health care clinics services in the two dimensions, contrary, females strongly agreed on the same dimensions. Relationship between HW educational level and his quality assessment was statistically significant on administration dimension only (P<0.05). HW experience and specialization was related significantly with his/her perceptions of quality assessment on administration, performance and training dimensions (P<0.05). Quality assessment of primary health care clinics regarding to services, infrastructure, medical equipment’s, drug availability and cleanness of primary health care facility was positive at (P<0.05) in total score and all dimensions which means it was available. Primary health care clinic district was not related significantly with the quality of primary health care clinics regarding to services, infrastructure, medical equipment’s, drug availability and cleanness of the PHC facility. Conclusion: Child caregivers, health workers perceptions showed positive attitude towards quality assessment of primary health care clinics services. Quality assessment of primary health care clinics regarding to services, infrastructure, medical equipment’s, drug availability and cleanness of the primary health care facility was significantly positive.