Physicians' perceptions about the quality of primary health care services in transitional Albania

AIM: To date, the available information regarding the quality of primary health care services in Albania is scarce. The aim of our study was to assess the quality of primary health care services in Albania based on physicians' perceptions towards the quality of the services provided to the general population.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in January-March 2013 including a representative sample of 132 physicians (59 men aged 41.3±6.9 years and 73 women aged 43.7±4.8 years; overall response rate: 132/150=88%) providing primary health care services in several polyclinics (health centers) of Tirana, the Albanian capital city. A structured self-administered and anonymous questionnaire was applied including physicians' perceptions regarding different dimensions of the quality of primary health care. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of self-perceived quality of health care services with baseline characteristics of physicians.

RESULTS: Self-perceived adequate quality of health care services was positively related to the age of physicians, their working experience, female gender, a lower population served, and specialization in family medicine.

CONCLUSION: Our findings provide useful evidence on the self-perceived quality of health services from primary health care physicians' perspective in transitional Albania. Health authorities in Albania should implement suitable instruments to measure the quality of health care services at all levels.