An Evaluation of Communication Strategies Used In the Implementation of Healthcare Project in Machakos County

Abstract

Health communication is the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence choices people make about their health. Health communication helps acquire knowledge and exchange information among different publics. The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the communication strategies used in the im- plementation of the Machakos Healthcare project three years on. Its objectives were to find out the most preferred communication strategies in the County, the effective- ness of the strategies, the challenges encountered as they were implemented, and the influence they had on access to health. The study used exploratory research design and in sampling, purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select 167 respondents and 5 scheduled interviews. The study targeted 1900 patients attend- ing Machakos Level Five Hospital and Kinaine Health Center. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was used for data analysis. The findings of the re- search indicate that interpersonal communication through word of mouth was the most effective method of communication whereas social media came in at second and that participatory communication through interpersonal communication was highly effective in passing health information. Local barazas and one on one discussions with the healthcare providers also proved quite effective in passing health infor- mation. The study concluded that the various communication strategies used had a profound influence on the implementation of the healthcare projects as envisioned by the County government of Machakos County. It recommended that the Machakos County government should strengthen its participatory communication strategies in the county and explore ways they can be more interactive in their social media communication in order to attract more interest on their activities and initiatives.