Choice, quality and patients' experience: evidence from a Finnish physiotherapy service

Is it an opportunity? COVID-19's effect on the green supply chains, and perceived service's quality (SERVQUAL): the moderate effect of big data analytics in the healthcare sector

This study examines the relationship between uncertainty-fear toward COVID-19, green supply chain management (GSCM), and perceived service quality based on the five dimensions service quality model (SERVQUAL). It also tests the moderating effect of big data analytics (BDA) capabilities. Based on a sample of 300 healthcare managers and customers, we used partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze the data and test our hypotheses. The empirical results show that the uncertainty-fear toward COVID-19 positively affects GSCM. Also, BDA moderates the relationship between uncertainty-fear toward COVID-19 and GSCM. GSCM positively impacts service quality (empathy, responsiveness, and assurance) but not reliability or tangible items. In addition, GSCM significantly mediates the relationship between uncertainty-fear toward COVID-19 and services' empathy, responsiveness, and assurance. However, it has an insignificant mediation effect regarding reliability and tangible-item dimensions.

Doctors’ Preferences in the Selection of Patients in Online Medical Consultations: An Empirical Study with Doctor–Patient Consultation Data

Online medical consultation (OMC) allows doctors and patients to communicate with each other in an online synchronous or asynchronous setting. Unlike face-to-face consultations in which doctors are only passively chosen by patients with appointments, doctors engaging in voluntary online consultation have the option of choosing patients they hope to treat when faced with a large number of online questions from patients. It is necessary to characterize doctors’ preferences for patient selection in OMC, which can contribute to their more active participation in OMC services. We proposed to exploit a bipartite graph to describe the doctor–patient interaction and use an exponential random graph model (ERGM) to analyze the doctors’ preferences for patient selection. A total of 1404 doctor–patient consultation data retrieved from an online medical platform in China were used for empirical analysis. It was found that first, mildly ill patients will be prioritized by doctors, but the doctors with more professional experience may be more likely to prefer more severely ill patients. Second, doctors appear to be more willing to provide consultation services to patients from urban areas, but the doctors with more professional experience or from higher-quality hospitals give higher priority to patients from rural and medically underserved areas. Finally, doctors generally prefer asynchronous communication methods such as picture/text consultation, while the doctors with more professional experience may be more willing to communicate with patients via synchronous communication methods, such as voice consultation or video consultation.

Patient preferences and attitudes towards first choice medical services in Shenzhen, China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the characteristics of Shenzhen residents' preferences and influencing factors regarding their first choice of medical institution at various medical levels, and to understand their attitudes towards community health services.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1612 participants at least 18 years of age were randomly sampled with stratification among 10 districts in Shenzhen. Data were gathered through a self-designed questionnaire. The effective questionnaire response rate was 93.05%. All patients participated in the study voluntarily, provided written informed consent and were able to complete the questionnaire.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We measured and compared the participants' expected and actual preferences and influencing factors regarding their first choice of medical service at various medical levels.

RESULTS

More than 50% of the participants preferred municipal and district hospitals as their first choice, and 27.5% chose medical institutions according to specific circumstances. Univariate analysis indicated that age, education, income, medical insurance, housing conditions and registered permanent residence were significantly associated with the actual and expected preferred first medical institution. The main factors influencing participants' actual and expected preferred medical institution differed. With the actual preferred first medical institution as the dependent variable, education, monthly income, medical technology, convenience and providers' service attitude and medical ethics were the main factors (χ²=212.63, p<0.001), whereas with the expected preferred first medical institution as the dependent variable, occupation, Shenzhen registered permanent residence, education and medical technology were the main factors (χ²=78.101, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The main factors influencing participants' preferred medical institution and their actual first visit differed. Patients with high education or income or registered permanent residence preferred high-level medical institutions for the first visit.

Competition and efficiency in repeated procurements: Lessons from the Finnish rehabilitation markets

Inefficient practices and lack of competition are common problems in public procurements. In this study, I examine the effects of a procurement practice reform in the Finnish rehabilitation markets where providers are acquired in a repeated manner through competitive bidding scoring auctions. Until recently, the largest public procurer did not use any systematic criteria for accepting providers, and only a few providers did not receive a contract. After the reform, providers were systematically accepted based on their capacity and the local demand. I analyze the effects of the reform on prices in physio, speech and occupational therapy services with data that covers five subsequent procurements. I use the pre-reform differences in local competition within the markets in a difference-in-differences setting. The descriptive evidence shows that the reform slowed down the rapid increase of prices in all three services. The regression analysis indicates that effects are strongest in the most competitive local physiotherapy markets. This suggests that increasing entry and competition in the less competitive services and local markets would benefit the public procurer.