Physicians' perceptions towards the impact of and willingness to pay for clinical computerization in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We evaluated factors associated with physicians' perceptions towards the effects of computers on health care and on current levels of computerization in their practice. We also performed a contingent valuation to quantify physicians' perceived benefits from computerization in a hypothetical ambulatory, solo clinic. METHODS: We surveyed 949 representative physicians in Hong Kong by post. Factor analysis was performed to summarize similar items into categories. Multivariable log-linear regression models were employed to assess the relationships between different factor scores and the number of functions computerized. We elicited their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for three defined computer systems using contingent valuation techniques. WTP values were estimated using econometric modeling by both, parametric and geometric methods. Sociodemographic, attitudinal, and practice-related predictors of WTP were estimated through regression analyses. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution which explained 53% of total variance. The overall mean score (mean = 3.51 +/- 0.45) showed a generally positive attitude towards the effects of computers on health care. Respondents with a higher level of computer knowledge had significantly higher mean overall (P = 0.002) and factor scores for all three factors (P < 0.01). Higher factor scores on the effects of computers on patient care and clinicians (P = 0.006) and on the health system (P = 0.032) were associated with a higher number of functions computerized. The parametric median WTP values for computerizing administrative, clinical, and both sets of functions were HK dollars 21205 (US dollars 2719), HK dollars 34231 (US dollars 4389), and HK dollars 45720 (US dollars 5862), respectively, which were lower than the estimates obtained from demand curves using the geometric method [HK dollars 43286 (US dollars 5549), HK dollars 59570 (US dollars 7637), and HK dollars 84623 (US dollars 10849), respectively]. Doctors with higher incomes were willing to pay more to computerize the clinic, with strong dose-response gradients demonstrated. Those who worked in corporate settings were also more likely to accept higher WTP values. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm that better knowledge about computers is contributory to a more positive attitude towards the effects of computers on health care, which is in turn significantly associated with higher levels of actual computerization in clinical practice. WTP values represent the likelihood, in monetary terms, of translating doctors' perceived benefits from computerization into investment action.     

German travelers’ preferences for travel vaccines assessed by a discrete choice experiment

BackgroundMany travelers to regions with endemic infectious diseases do not follow health authorities’ recommendations regarding vaccination against vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, before traveling. The determinants of individual travelers’ decisions to vaccinate before traveling are largely unknown. This study aimed to provide this information using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) administered to four types of German travelers: (1) business travelers; (2) travelers visiting friends and relatives (VFR); (3) leisure travelers; and (4) backpackers.MethodsA DCE survey was developed, pretested and administered online. It included a series of choice questions in which respondents chose between two hypothetical vaccines, each characterized by four disease attributes with varying levels describing the of risk, health impact, curability and transmissibility of the disease they would prevent (described with four disease attributes with varying levels of risk, health impact, curability and transmissibility), and varying levels of four vaccine attributes (duration of protection, number of doses required, time required for vaccination, and vaccine cost). A random-parameters logit model was used to estimate the importance weights each traveler type placed on the various attribute levels. These weights were used to calculate mean monetary equivalents (MMEs) of changes in each attribute (holding all others constant) and of hypothetical disease-vaccine combinations.ResultsAll traveler types’ choices indicated that they attached the greatest importance to the risk and health impact of disease and to the vaccine cost whereas the other disease and vaccine attributes were less important for their decisions about travel vaccines. An option of not choosing any of the vaccine-pairs presented was rarely selected indicating that travelers’ generally prefer to be vaccinated rather than not. The MMEs of changes in vaccine attributes indicated a very high variability between the individual travelers within each type.ConclusionsThe travelers’ responses indicated strong preferences for selecting vaccination rather than opting out of vaccination, and disease risk, health impact and vaccine cost were the most important features for vaccine choice.     

我国城市居民癌症筛查服务利用现况及服务支付意愿分析

目的 了解未参加过城市癌症早诊早治项目及其他国家级癌症筛查项目的城市居民对癌症筛查服务利用现况及对癌症筛查费用的支付意愿情况,从潜在筛查服务需求方的角度探索癌症筛查工作的可持续性。方法 2014-2015年基于城市癌症早诊早治项目的16个省份项目点,采用多中心横断面方便抽样方法对目标人群开展纸质问卷调查;采用χ²检验进行单因素分析、二元logistic回归进行多因素分析。结果 最终完成合格调查16 394人。调查对象中做过癌症筛查的居民占12.1%（1 984人）;对癌症筛查服务利用进行多因素分析显示,年龄为60~69岁（OR=1.27,95% CI：1.13~1.43）、女性（男性OR=0.56,95% CI：0.50~0.62）、学历偏高者（高中/中专OR=1.51,95% CI：1.35~1.70;大学及以上OR=2.10,95% CI：1.36~3.25）、事业单位等和企业单位等职业的人群（企业人员等OR=1.32,95% CI：1.06~1.64;事业单位人员等OR=2.85,95% CI：2.26~3.59）、收入偏高者（6~15万元OR=1.55,95% CI：1.39~1.73;≥ 15万元OR=2.57,95% CI：2.09~3.15）、城镇职工医疗保险/公费医疗（OR=1.15,95% CI：1.01~1.32）以及城镇居民医疗保险/商业保险（OR=1.01,95% CI：0.84~1.22）的人群对癌症筛查服务利用率更高。在不考虑费用等因素的情况下,65.8%（10 795人）的调查对象愿意接受癌症筛查服务,且做过癌症筛查的居民对癌症筛查的接受度更高（P<0.05）。对于多种癌症联合筛查,61.2%（10 038人）的居民愿意付费,多因素分析显示,年龄为40~59岁（60~69岁OR=0.80,95% CI：0.74~0.87）、企事业单位等职业人群（企业人员OR=1.32,95% CI：1.18~1.47;事业单位人员OR=1.76,95% CI：1.56~1.98）、收入偏高者（6~15万OR=1.51,95% CI：1.40~1.63;≥ 15万OR=1.95,95% CI：1.60~2.38）及做过癌症筛查人群（OR=2.18,95% CI：1.94~2.46）的支付意愿更高。结论 居民癌症筛查服务利用仍有较大的提升空间;年龄、性别、学历、职业、收入、医保是癌症筛查服务利用的主要影响因素;居民有一定的支付意愿,但支付额度有限,年龄、职业、收入、癌症筛查服务利用是居民支付意愿的主要影响因素。