In Burkina Faso, the health system has a pyramid structure (see Figure 1), in which, the first (bottom) level consists of the Health and Social Promotion Centers (CSPSs), assumed to be the point of entry to the health system. At the intermediate level, there are successively larger medical centers with surgical units (CMA/CM), which take referrals

from the CSPSs, and the regional hospital (CHR). On top of the health pyramid is the National University Hospital (CHN), which provides specialized care. This fragmentation of the health pyramid seems to correspond to a hierarchy of care. Alongside this public health sector, there are two coexisting care-providing sectors, namely the private sector and the traditional sector.

By analyzing the utilization of health services in this context of health system fragmentation in Burkina Faso, the main purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential challenges associated with this fragmentation and provide the basis on which future studies should be conducted. Indeed, [1] argued that most health systems are characterized by fragmentation and continue to face the major challenge of integration between the various parts of the system. Henceforth, to enhance integration, the first step is to perform an assessment of the health system fragmentation and integration.

We conducted a demand-side analysis focused on the utilization of health services by the population instead of healthcare provision to empirically study fragmentation and integration within the Burkina Faso health system. The paper is organized as follows: Section 2 briefly introduces the methodology and data; the main results are presented and discussed in Section 3, and Section 4 concludes the paper.

Table 3 shows the estimation results of the negative binomial model (Equation (2)) for health services utilization in the Burkina Faso health system. In this fragmented health system, our results indicate that only the utilization of a private pharmacist for healthcare services did not seem to be correlated with any health risk factor as a determinant of health services utilization. Indeed, the estimates for this modality of health care services did not converge and were not identified as significant even when using alternative estimation methods.

Source: Author’s calculations using Stata.

For the others modalities of health services in the Burkina Faso health system, our results highlight that sex and age as determinants of care services utilization are negatively and significantly correlated with the use of CSPS, considered to be the point of entry to the Burkina Faso health system. However, the probabilities of using higher levels of the health system were positively associated with the following risk factors: health status is associated with CMA/CM use; sex, age, and marital status are associated with CHR use; and marital status is associated with CHN use. Apart from the public sector of the health system, having received consultations from traditional healers is positively correlated with age, particularly among the elderly. As a whole, use of the private healthcare sector is positively correlated with the evaluated health risk factors.

Given these results, the reform in Burkina Faso aimed at making CSPSs a mandatory point of entry to the health system proves relevant and should be strengthened and accompanied by support measures designed primarily to optimize the waiting time of patients in CSPSs while decongesting facilities within the upper level of the health system, such as the CHR and the CMA/CM, thereby ensuring better coordination of care across the various providers in the health system. [6] showed that while waiting times can be a tool used to control healthcare demand in countries with health insurance systems, it is never optimal to have a positive waiting time when the marginal cost of waiting times is higher for patients expecting a significant benefit from healthcare. Furthermore, mechanisms to facilitate integration and coordination between the private and public sectors should be envisioned. Indeed,

Source: Author’s calculation using Stata. Notes: Standard deviations are reported in parentheses. *, ** and *** indicate significance at 10%, 5% and 1% respectively.

private healthcare providers have often been considered to generate additional costs in healthcare or health insurance systems. In the case of Burkina Faso, for example, [7] demonstrated that the use of external care (private providers) was associated with a significant increase in the direct costs of household healthcare in the Nouna District in Northwest Burkina Faso.

The health system in Burkina Faso has a pyramid structure. Thus, we analyze the utilization of healthcare within this system by highlighting system fragmentation and its associated challenges. This paper suggests the need for integration between the various providers in the system. In line with this need, recent empirical research has focused on essential aspects required for integration of a fragmented system. Using a qualitative approach, Shevski and Sheiman (2014) performed a conceptual assessment of fragmentation and integration, arguing that the key attributes of integration were teamwork, coordination and continuity of care.

In Burkina Faso, some steps have been taken towards continuity of care, namely encouraging use of the first level of care provision as the point of entry to the health system. However, research conducted on fragmented and highly integrated systems should consider all dimensions of integration to improve the efficiency of healthcare provision.

Traoré, O. (2016) Utilization of Health Services in the Burkina Faso Health System: Empirical Evidence of Health System Fragmentation and Integration. Modern Economy, 7, 1555-1563. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/me.2016.713139

Source: Built from the INSD’s 1998 survey data base.

Source: Author’s calculation using Stata. Notes: Standard deviations are reported in parentheses. *, ** and *** indicate significance at 10%, 5% and 1% respectively. CNSS: National Social Security Fund; CARFO: Independent Civil Servants’ Pension Fund; cnasur: variable for CNSS + insurance; carsur: variable for CARFO + insurance; irevtran: variable for transitory income.