ArticleBMC health services research2012
Which factors decided general practitioners' choice of hospital on behalf of their patients in an area with free choice of public hospital? A questionnaire study.
Article in BMC health services research, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed.
- The elicitation of patient and physician preferences for calculating consumer-based composite measures on hospital report cards: results of two discrete choice experiments.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2024Article
- Do patients' preferences prevail in hospital selection?: a comparison between discrete choice experiments and revealed hospital choice.BMC health services research · 2022Article
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- National Evaluation of Patient Preferences in Selecting Hospitals and Health Care Providers.Medical care · 2020Article
- To what degree do patients actively choose their healthcare provider at the point of referral by their GP? A video observation study.BMC family practice · 2019Observational
- Discussing patients' insurance and out-of-pocket expenses during GPs' consultations.BMC health services research · 2019Article
- The use of public performance reporting by general practitioners: a study of perceptions and referral behaviours.BMC family practice · 2018Article
- Cost Variation in Diabetes Care across Dutch Care Groups?Health services research · 2017Article
- Why patients may not exercise their choice when referred for hospital care. An exploratory study based on interviews with patients.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2016Article
- Article
- Do patients' information requirements for choice in health care vary with their socio-demographic characteristics?Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2015Article
- Comparative performance information plays no role in the referral behaviour of GPs.BMC family practice · 2014Article
- Are patients' preferences regarding the place of treatment heard and addressed at the point of referral: an exploratory study based on observations of GP-patient consultations.BMC family practice · 2013Article
- Free choice of healthcare providers in the Netherlands is both a goal in itself and a precondition: modelling the policy assumptions underlying the promotion of patient choice through documentary analysis and interviews.BMC health services research · 2012Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundParts of New Public Management-reforms of the public sector depend on introduction of market-like mechanisms to manage the sector, like free choice of hospital. However, patients may delegate the choice of hospital to agents like general practitioners (GPs). We have investigated which factors Danish GPs reported as decisive for their choice of hospital on behalf of patients, and their utilisation of formal and informal data sources when they chose a hospital on behalf of patients.
methodsRetrospective questionnaire study of all of the 474 GPs practising in three counties which constituted a single uptake area. Patients were free to choose a hospital in another county in the country. The GPs were asked about responsibility for choice of the latest three patients referred by the GP to hospital; which of 16 factors influenced the choice of hospital; which of 15 sources of information about clinical quality at various hospitals/departments were considered relevant, and how often were six sources of information about waiting time utilised.
resultsFifty-one percent (240 GPs) filled in and returned the questionnaire. One hundred and eighty-three GPs (76%) reported that they perceived that they chose the hospital on behalf of the latest referred patient. Short distance to hospital was the most common reason for choice of hospital.The most frequently used source of information about quality at hospital departments was anecdotal reports from patients referred previously, and the most important source of information about waiting time was the hospitals' letters of confirmation of referrals.
conclusionsIn an area with free choice of public hospital most GPs perceived that they chose the hospital on behalf of patients. Short distance to hospital was the factor which most often decided the GPs' choice of hospital on behalf of patients. GPs attached little weight to official information on quality and service (waiting time) at hospitals or departments, focusing instead on informal sources like feedback from patients and colleagues and their experience with cooperation with the department or hospital.
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