Tainan Municipal Hospital (Managed by Show Chwan Medical Care Corporation), Tainan, Taiwan.
Department of Information Technology and Communication, Shih Chien University Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Sep 30;24(1):1148. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11640-6.
This study investigates the impact of healthcare consumers' involvement, price perception, and attitude toward National Health Insurance (NHI) copayment adjustments on their healthcare-seeking behavior, focusing on the mediating role of health facility identification.
A questionnaire survey was conducted among outpatient customers in Taiwan from October 2023 to March 2024, resulting in 746 valid responses. The survey included demographic variables, involvement, price perception, attitude, health facility identification, and healthcare-seeking behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS 20.0.
The study found that involvement, price perception, and attitude significantly influence healthcare-seeking behavior. Health facility identification was identified as a significant mediator in the relationship between copayment perception and healthcare-seeking behavior. The regression analysis also highlighted the impact of demographic factors such as age, education level, marital status, and annual income on healthcare-seeking behavior. The path model illustrated the complex interplay between perceptual factors and their influence on healthcare-seeking behavior.
This study emphasizes the importance of consumer involvement, price perception, and attitude in shaping healthcare utilization patterns. Health facility identification plays a crucial mediating role, suggesting that stronger patient-provider relationships can mitigate potential negative impacts of copayment adjustments. Policymakers and healthcare providers should enhance patient engagement, foster strong patient-facility identification, and provide targeted support for vulnerable groups to ensure equitable access to healthcare services despite copayment changes.
本研究旨在探讨医疗消费者参与度、价格感知以及对全民健康保险（NHI）自付额调整的态度对其就医行为的影响，重点关注健康设施识别的中介作用。
2023 年 10 月至 2024 年 3 月期间，对台湾的门诊客户进行了问卷调查，共获得 746 份有效回复。调查包括人口统计学变量、参与度、价格感知、态度、健康设施识别和就医行为。使用 SPSS 20.0 进行描述性统计分析、相关分析和多元回归分析。
研究发现，参与度、价格感知和态度显著影响就医行为。健康设施识别被确定为自付额感知与就医行为之间关系的重要中介变量。回归分析还强调了年龄、教育水平、婚姻状况和年收入等人口统计学因素对就医行为的影响。路径模型说明了感知因素之间的复杂相互作用及其对就医行为的影响。
本研究强调了消费者参与度、价格感知和态度在塑造医疗利用模式方面的重要性。健康设施识别起着至关重要的中介作用，表明更强的医患关系可以减轻自付额调整可能带来的负面影响。政策制定者和医疗保健提供者应加强患者参与，培养牢固的医患关系，并为弱势群体提供有针对性的支持，以确保在自付额变化的情况下公平获得医疗服务。
