Patient satisfaction in two Chinese provinces: rural and urban differences

TLDR: Rural residents benefit greatly from the implementation of the new rural cooperative medical insurance scheme NRCMIS and future reform could be more effective by catering the needs of each specific group (e.g. low-income population, rural population, etc.) identified by this study.

Abstract: Objective. While international research on patient satisfaction on healthcare has grown tremendously in the past three decades, little research has been conducted concerning healthcare-related patient satisfaction in China. This study was designed to examine what factors including patients’ characteristics and ease of access to care are associated with level of patient satisfaction and how such satisfaction might differ across rural and urban populations in China. This study also serves as an evaluation of the recent healthcare reforms that have taken place in China, which were expected to equalize satisfaction between rural and urban patients. Design. A cross-sectional survey to assess satisfaction among patients attending county-level hospitals in China. Setting. Forty county-level hospitals in two provinces of China. Participants. Twenty-five patients from each of the 40 county-level hospitals. Main outcome measure. Patient satisfaction measured with 15 questions. Results. Perceived convenience was significantly associated with patient satisfaction among all participants. The new rural cooperative medical insurance scheme (NRCMIS) was associated with higher overall satisfaction among the rural residents. Age and income were significantly related to satisfaction only among rural patients. Conclusions. Rural residents benefit greatly from the implementation of NRCMIS. Future reform could be more effective by catering the needs of each specific group (e.g. low-income population, rural population, etc.) identified by this study.