Investigating patient preferences in public health service delivery in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

The research aimed to assess patients' preferences for public health services (i.e., primary health care and HIV testing) in the Western Cape province, South Africa, using focus groups, discrete choice experiments and willingness to pay sub-studies. This aim is well aligned with the Western Cape Government: Health vision of access to person-centered quality care. Patient preferences must be assessed and used in policymaking and operational decisions. Therefore, it is important to add to the body of knowledge by conducting research using the clientele that uses the public health facilities and services offered in-house or as part of the outreach. Most South Africans access health services through government-run public clinics and hospitals. As South Africa moves to adopt National Health Insurance (NHI), the success of this process hinges on public healthcare reforms, which are critical to the delivery of high-quality, accessible, public-sector health services for universal coverage in the health system.