BACKGROUND: Clients’ needs and their satisfaction are priority issues in studying quality in reproductive health services. However, only 24-37% of Ethiopian women were informed about the available family planning methods and their utilization. High national total fertility rate (4.8) and low contraceptive prevalence rate (29%) might be attributed to these and other reasons. This study assessed the level of client-centeredness of  family  planning  services  and  their determinants  in public  health  facilities  of  Bahir  Dar  Town,  Northwest Ethiopia.  

METHODS:  Exit  interviews  of  326  consecutively  enrolled  clients  were  conducted  using  structured questionnaire.  Thirty  consultation  sessions  were  observed  using  a  checklist  to  record  client-provider interaction. The outcome variable was client centeredness as measured by perceived informed choice with perceived client-provider interaction as the intermediate variable.

RESULTS: The average levels of perceived informed choice and client provider interaction were 70.0% and 67.6%, respectively. Perceived clinical competence  of providers, perceived integration and coordination of  care,  perceived  accessibility  of  services,  perceived  participation  of  families  and  friends  in  care delivery, perceived physical comfort of the facilities and type of the health facility were the independent predictors  of  perceived  client  provider  interaction.  Perceived degree of client provider interaction, perceived clinical competence of providers, type of health facility and perceived accessibility of services were independent predictors of perceived informed choice (p≤0.01).

CONCLUSION:  Client-centeredness of family planning services, as measured by clien- provider interaction and informed choice was not sufficiently assured in the study facilities.

KEYWORDS: Perceived informed choice, perceived client provider interaction, client centeredness