Medicina Fluminensis, Vol. 53 No. 1, 2017.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21860/medflum2017_173385
Determinants of citizen’s attitudes and satisfaction with the Croatian health care system
Stjepka Popović
orcid.org/0000-0001-5072-1103
; Katedra za društvene i humanističke znanosti u medicini, Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to identify determinants of citizen’s attitudes and satisfaction with the Croatian health care system. Respondents and methods: The paper used data from International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), module Health (2011) collected on a national representative sample of Croatian citizens. Data were collected on a three-stage stratified random sample of respondents aged over 18 years. Confidence and quality assessment of the Croatian health care system, attitudes towards the financing of the health system, assessment of the availability of health services and the satisfaction with the health system have been tested with regard to socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, selfassessed health, health insurance coverage and personal experience with health. Results: Controlling for socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, education level, ethnicity and urbanisation of the place of residence were seen as the best determinants of attitudes and satisfaction. Respondents with lower levels of education, minorities, and people from rural areas expressed more positive attitudes and greater satisfaction with the healthcare system. The majority of citizens was not ready to allocate more funds to improve the quality of the health system, in particular, those respondents who are considered socially vulnerable. Selfassessment of health and health care coverage are the best determinants of attitudes and satisfaction with the health-care system, so respondents who reported better health and better health care coverage expressed greater levels of confidence and satisfaction. Deprivation of health services due to long waiting lists significantly reduces the confidence and satisfaction with the health system. Conclusions: Since studies of users’ perspective can show the desirable direction of health care reform, they should become a regular measure of the quality of the Croatian health system.
Keywords
health care quality, access, and evaluation; healthcare disparities; patient satisfaction; social determinants of health
Hrčak ID:
173385
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2017.
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