Public Satisfaction with Health Care Systems Across 31 Countries

• In Event: 1483 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 17. Inequalities in Health Care Access and Patient Satisfaction

Abstract

Abstract
In this article, I investigated the relationship between individual socio-economic characteristics with general satisfaction with the healthcare system as well as that between the institutional set-up of healthcare systems and patterns of public satisfaction. I used the 2011 International Social Survey Program data from 31 countries (N=35,786) and specified hierarchical linear models with macro-micro level interactions in order to learn how the state financing context affects satisfaction at the individual level. Consistent with previous research, I found satisfaction is more relevant to personal experiences than to individual socio-economic characteristics. Interestingly, household income is not a significant factor whereas education is strongly negatively associated with general satisfaction. At the country level, the percentage of private payment for health expenditure and the percentage of aging population are negatively associated with general satisfaction. Further, country context conditions the education-satisfaction link, such that the negative relationship between education and general satisfaction is worse in countries with higher percentage of private spending on health. I concluded with two policy implications. First, a high-quality patient-doctor relationship is necessary for successful healthcare reforms. Second, attention should be paid to ensure that people are not only living longer but also healthier.

Author

• Yaqi Yuan, State University of New York-Buffalo