Factors Contributing to Patients' Preferences for Primary Health Care Institutions in China: A Qualitative Study
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SUBMITTER: Zhang W
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7461976 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BACKGROUND:The allocation of health resources in primary health care institutions (PHCI) is crucial to health reform. China has recently implemented many reform measures emphasizing the provision of primary health care services, with equity as one of the major goals. The aim of this study was to analyze the quantity, quality, and distribution of health resources in Liaoning Province from 2005 to 2017. METHODS:Data were drawn from the annual financial report from 2005 to 2017 and information from the Liaoning Province Department of Statistics. Numbers of beds and physicians were used as indicators of health resources. Capital assets per bed, value of medical equipment per bed, operational space per bed, and number of physicians with different educational levels were used as indicators of quality of health resources. Concentration indices (CI) and Gini coefficients were calculated. RESULTS:There was a steady rise in health resources in PHCI. From 2005 to 2017, the quality of health resources improved. The CI of beds showed an overall downward trend, indicating an improvement in the disparity among PHCI. There was a similar trend in the CI of fixed assets per bed. The Gini coefficients of physicians overall and physicians with different educational levels were almost always <?0.3, showing preferred equity status. There was a decreasing trend in the Gini coefficients of PHCI physicians with bachelor's degrees or higher and physicians with associate's degrees. The proportion of health resource of PHCI in health system increased from 2005 to 2009, before decreasing from 2009 to 2017 and the percentage of physicians overall and physicians with bachelor's degrees or higher in PHCI declined after 2011. CONCLUSIONS:There was an improvement in the quantity and quality of health resources in PHCI from 2005 to 2017. The distribution of health resource allocation in PHCI also improved. The findings revealed that the measures for the improvement of PHCI physicians' educational level has been successful and the measures taken by the government in health reform to strengthen the primary health care system have not been successful.
| S-EPMC6280446 | biostudies-other
Project description:ObjectivesTo quantify the preference of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) for primary healthcare (PHC) institutions in China to redirect the patient flow and improve health outcomes.DesignCross-sectional study. Discrete choice experiment (DCE) surveys asked patients with DM to choose between hypothetical institutions that differed in the medical service capacity, out-of-pocket (OOP) medical costs per month, travel time, the attitude of medical staff and the availability of diabetes drugs.SettingShandong province, China.ParticipantsThe participants were 887 patients with DM from 36 urban communities and 36 rural villages in Shandong province. One participant did not provide any DCE answers and a further 57 patients failed the internal consistency test. 829 fully completed surveys were included in the final data analysis.Main outcomes and measuresA mixed logit model was used to calculate the willingness to pay and predict choice probabilities for PHC institution attributes. Preference heterogeneity was also investigated.ResultsAll five attributes were associated with the preferences of patients with DM. The OOP medical costs and the medical service capacity were the most influential attributes. Improvements simultaneously in the attitude of medical staff, drug availability and travel time increased the likelihood of a patient's PHC institution choice. Preferences differed by region, annual household income and duration of diabetes.ConclusionsOur patient preference data may help policymakers improve health services and increase acceptance of choosing PHC institutions. The OOP medical costs and medical service capacity should be regarded as a priority in decision-making.
| S-EPMC10410837 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Introduction: Drug-related problems (DRPs) are not only detrimental to patients' physical health and quality of life but also lead to a serious waste of health care resources. The condition of DRPs might be more severe for patients in primary health care institutions. Objective: This systematic review aims to comprehensively review the characteristics of DRPs for patients in primary health care institutions, which might help find effective strategies to identify, prevent, and intervene with DRPs in the future. Methods: We searched three English databases (Embase, The Cochrane Library, and PubMed) and four Chinese databases (CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang). Two of the researchers independently conducted literature screening, quality evaluation, and data extraction. Qualitative and quantitative methods were combined to analyze the data. Results: From the 3,368 articles screened, 27 met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The median (inter-quartile range, IQR) of the incidences of DRPs was 70.04% (59%), and the median (IQR) of the average number of DRPs per patient was 3.4 (2.8). The most common type of DRPs was "treatment safety." The causes of DRPs were mainly in the prescribing section, including "drug selection" and "dose selection", while patients' poor adherence in the use section was also an important cause of DRPs. Risk factors such as the number of medicines, age, and disease condition were positively associated with the occurrence of DRPs. In addition, the medians (IQR) of the rate of accepted interventions, implemented interventions, and solved DRPs were 78.8% (22.3%), 64.15% (16.85%), and 76.99% (26.09%), respectively. Conclusion: This systematic review showed that the condition of DRPs in primary health care institutions was serious. In pharmaceutical practice, the patients with risk factors of DRPs should be monitored more closely. Pharmacists could play important roles in the identification and intervention of DRPs, and more effective intervention strategies need to be established in the future.
| S-EPMC8418140 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPrimary health care (PHC) institutions are key to realizing the main functions of the health care system. Since the new health care reform in 2009, the Chinese government has invested heavily in PHC institutions and launched favorable initiatives to improve the efficiency of such institutions. This study is designed to gauge the efficiency of PHC institutions by using 2012-2020 panel data covering 31 provinces in China.MethodsThis study applied an improved three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to evaluate the efficiency of PHC institutions in China. Unlike the traditional three-stage DEA model, the input-oriented global super-efficiency slack-based measurement (SBM) DEA model is used to calculate the efficiency in the first and third stages of the improved three-stage DEA model, which not only allows the effects of environmental factors and random noise to be taken into account but also deal with the problem of slack, super-efficiency and the comparability of interperiod efficiency values throughout the efficiency measurement.ResultsThe results show that the efficiency of PHC institutions has been overestimated due to the impact of external environmental factors and random noise. From 2012 to 2020, the efficiency of PHC institutions displayed a downward trend. Moreover, there are significant differences in the efficiency of PHC institutions between regions, with the lowest efficiency being found in the northeast region. The efficiency of PHC institutions is significantly affected by residents' annual average income, per capita GDP, population density, the percentage of the population aged 0-14, the percentage of the population aged 65 and older, the number of people with a college education and above per 100,000 residents, and the proportion of the urban population.ConclusionsSubstantial investment in PHC institutions has not led to the expected efficiency gains. Therefore, more effective measures should be taken to improve the efficiency of PHC institutions in China based on local conditions. This study provides a new analytical approach to calculating the efficiency of PHC institutions, and this approach can be applied to efficiency evaluation either in other fields or in other countries.
| S-EPMC10503195 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCare continuity by a dedicated, well-trained primary care physician (PCP) has shown to improve health outcomes of patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In Singapore's fee-for-service primary care system, patients can choose to consult any PCP in either a public (polyclinic), private (General Practitioners/ GP), or both types of clinics, resulting in potential fragmented care. Decision-making by patients in selecting their preferred PCP remains unclear. This study aims to explore the personal factors influencing the choice of PCP among patients with NCDs in primary care.MethodsThis qualitative research study was conducted in a typical polyclinic. In-depth interviews were conducted on patients with NCDs. Purposive sampling was implemented to enrol patients who had previously consulted PCPs in polyclinics and GP clinics, garnering their perspectives and experiences of care received from both providers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and audited. Data was coded and analysed using thematic content analysis to identify emerging themes. The physician-specific factors which influence patients' decision-making of PCP selection are presented here.ResultsTwenty-one Asian patients aged 38 to 82 years were interviewed. They preferred PCPs with an approachable and genuine demeanour, exhibiting empathy and compassion. They valued the PCPs' verbal, non-verbal and listening skills. Regarding professional qualities, patients wanted PCPs to demonstrate competency and a patient-centred care approach. Some selected their PCP based on compatible age and gender that they felt comfortable with. Establishing good rapport with their PCP and maintaining continuity of care were deemed as major factors in patients' PCP selection.ConclusionPatients tended to select PCPs based on their personal characteristics, interpersonal skills, professional attributes, demographics, and the physician-patient relationship. PCPs should be aware of these attributes and demonstrate them during their patient interaction. Leveraging on this enables PCPs to build rapport with their patients and maintain care continuity to optimize their health outcomes.
| S-EPMC10906824 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Health reform in China since 2009 has emphasized basic public health services to enhance the function of Community Health Services as a primary health care facility. A variety of studies have documented these efforts, and the challenges these have faced, yet up to now the experience of primary health care (PHC) providers in terms of how they have coped with these changes remains underdeveloped. Despite the abundant literature on psychological coping processes and mechanisms, the application of coping research within the context of human resources for health remains yet to be explored. This research aims to understand how PHC providers coped with the new primary health care model and the job characteristics brought about by these changes.Semi-structured interviews with primary health care workers were conducted in Jinan city of Shandong province in China. A maximum variation sampling method selected 30 PHC providers from different specialties. Thematic analysis was used drawing on a synthesis of theories related to the Job Demands-Resources model, work adjustment, and the model of exit, voice, loyalty and neglect to understand PHC providers' coping strategies.Our interviews identified that the new model of primary health care significantly affected the nature of primary health work and triggered a range of PHC providers' coping processes. The results found that health workers perceived their job as less intensive than hospital medical work but often more trivial, characterized by heavy workload, blurred job description, unsatisfactory income, and a lack of professional development. However, close relationship with community and low work pressure were satisfactory. PHC providers' processing of job demands and resources displayed two ways of interaction: aggravation and alleviation. Processing of job demands and resources led to three coping strategies: exit, passive loyalty, and compromise with new roles and functions.Primary health care providers employed coping strategies of exit, passive loyalty, and compromise to deal with changes in primary health work. In light of these findings, our paper concludes that it is necessary for the policymakers to provide further job resources for CHS, and involve health workers in policy-making. The introduction of particular professional training opportunities to support job role orientation for PHC providers is advocated.
| S-EPMC5545001 | biostudies-other
Project description:ObjectiveTo explore patients' preferences for follow-up in primary care vs. secondary care.MethodsA cross-sectional design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 70 female patients with a history of early-stage breast cancer. Using descriptive content analysis, interview transcripts were analysed independently and thematically by two researchers.FindingsPatients expressed the strongest preference for annual visits (31/68), a schedule with a decreasing frequency over time (27/68), and follow-up > 10 years, including lifelong follow-up (20/64). The majority (56/61) preferred to receive follow-up care from the same care provider over time, for reasons related to a personal doctor-patient relationship and the physician's knowledge of the patient's history. About 75% (43/56) preferred specialist follow-up to other follow-up models. However, primary care-based follow-up would be accepted by 57% (39/68) provided that there is good communication between GPs and specialists, and sufficient knowledge among GPs about follow-up. Perceived benefits of primary care-based follow-up referred to the personal nature of the GP-patient relationship and the easy access to primary care. Perceived barriers included limited oncology knowledge and skills, time available, motivation among GPs to provide follow-up care and patients' confidence with the present specialist follow-up.ConclusionsMore than half of the patients were open to primary care-based follow-up. Patients' confidence with this follow-up model may increase by using survivorship care plans to facilitate communication across the primary/secondary interface and with patients. Training GPs to improve their oncology knowledge and skills might also increase patients' confidence.
| S-EPMC5810665 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundContinuity of care can bring a wide range of benefits to consumers, providers and health care systems. This study aimed to understand the relationship preferences of primary care patients and their associations with patient experience of continuity of care.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted on 700 patients who sought medical care from a community health organisation in Beijing. The survey contained four items examining the relationship preferences of the respondents, and a modified Questionnaire of Continuity between Care Levels (CCAENA) measuring patient experience of continuity of care based on a three dimensional (relational, informational and managerial) model. The associations between the relationship preferences and the experience of respondents in continuity of care was tested using a linear regression model controlling for age, sex, education, medical insurance, personal income and servicing facilities.ResultsThe respondents experienced relatively lower levels of informational and managerial continuity compared with relational continuity of care. More than 80% of respondents preferred free choice and a continuing relationship with doctors, compared with 59% who endorsed community facility control over hospital appointments. A preference for a continuing relationship with doctors was associated with all aspects of continuity of care. A preference in favour of community facility control over hospital appointments was a strong predictor of managerial continuity (??=?0.333, p?<?0.001) and informational continuity (??=?0.256, p?<?0.001). Patient preference for free choice of doctors was positively associated with relational continuity with specialists (p?<?0.001), but not with primary care providers (p > 0.08). Perceived importance of information exchange was associated with relational and managerial continuity (p?<?0.05), but not with informational continuity (p?=?0.34).ConclusionsPatients prefer a high level of freedom of choice and sustained individual relationship with doctors. Relationship preferences of patients are associated with their experience of continuity of care. But patient strong preference for free choice of doctors is not aligned with relational continuity with primary care, a desirable feature of cost-effective healthcare systems.
| S-EPMC5568350 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPrimary medical and health care facilities are the first lines of defense for the health of population. This study aims to evaluate the current state and trend of equity and coupling coordination degree (CCD) of staff in primary medical and health care institutions (SPMHCI) based on the quantity and living standards of citizens in China 2013-2019. The research findings are expected to serve as a guideline for the allocation of SPMHCI.MethodsThe data used in this study including the quantity and living standards of citizens, as well as the number of SPMHCI in 31 provincial administrative regions of China, were obtained from the China Statistical Yearbook and the China Health Statistics Yearbook. The equity and CCD for SPMHCI were analyzed by using the Gini coefficient and the CCD model, and the Grey forecasting model GM (1, 1) (GM) was used to predict the equity and CCD from 2020 to 2022.ResultsBetween 2013 and 2019, the number of SPMHCI increased from 3.17 million to 3.50 million, and the population-based Gini coefficient declined from 0.0704 to 0.0513. In urban and rural areas, the Gini coefficients decreased from 0.1185 and 0.0737 to 0.1025 and 0.0611, respectively. The CCD between SPMHCI and citizens' living standards (CLS) changed from 0.5691, 0.5813, 0.5818 to 0.5650, 0.5634, 0.6088 at national, urban, and rural levels, respectively. The forecasting results of GM revealed that at the national, urban and rural levels from 2020 to 2022, the Gini coefficient would rise at a rate of - 13.53, - 5.77%, and - 6.10%, respectively, while the CCD would grow at a rate of - 0.89, 1.06, and 0.87%, respectively.ConclusionsIn China, the number of SPMHCI has increased significantly, with an equitable allocation based on the population. The interaction between SPMHCI and CLS is sufficient, but the degree of mutual promotion is moderate. The government could optimize SPMHCI and improve the chronic disease management services to improve CLS and to ensure the continued operation of primary medical and health care institutions in urban areas.
| S-EPMC8557061 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPrimary care is a key element of health care systems and addresses the main health problems of the population. Due to the demographic change, primary care even gains in importance. The knowledge of the patients' preferences can help policy makers as well as physicians to set priorities in their effort to make health care delivery more responsive to patients' needs. Our objective was to describe which aspects of primary care were included in preference studies and which of them were the most preferred aspects.MethodsIn order to elicit the preferences for primary care, a systematic literature search was conducted. Two researchers searched three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO) and conducted a narrative synthesis. Inclusion criteria were: focus on primary health care delivery, discrete choice experiment as elicitation method, and studies published between 2006 and 2015 in English language.ResultsWe identified 18 studies that elicited either the patients' or the population's preferences for primary care based on a discrete choice experiment. Altogether the studies used 16 structure attributes, ten process attributes and four outcome attributes. The most commonly applied structure attribute was "Waiting time till appointment", the most frequently used process attribute was "Shared decision making / professional's attention paid to your views". "Receiving the 'best' treatment" was the most commonly applied outcome attribute. Process attributes were most often the ones of highest importance for patients or the population. The attributes and attribute levels used in the discrete choice experiments were identified by literature research, qualitative research, expert interviews, or the analysis of policy documents.ConclusionsThe results of the DCE studies show different preferences for primary health care. The diversity of the results may have several reasons, such as the method of analysis, the selection procedure of the attributes and their levels or the specific research question of the study. As the results of discrete choice experiments depend on many different factors, it is important for a better comprehensibility of the studies to transparently report the steps undertaken in a study as well as the interim results regarding the identification of attributes and levels.
| S-EPMC5505038 | biostudies-literature