Analysis of Patients' willingness to Be Mobile, Taking into Account Individual Characteristics and Two Exemplary Indications

TY - JOUR

T1 - Analysis of Patients' willingness to Be Mobile, Taking into Account Individual Characteristics and Two Exemplary Indications

AU - Augustin, Jobst

AU - Schäfer, Ines

AU - Augustin, Matthias

AU - Zander, Nicole

N1 - © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2017/4

Y1 - 2017/4

N2 - BACKGROUND: With respect to health care planning, it is commonly assumed that patients consult the nearest physician. In reality, however, patients frequently accept great-er efforts/expenses than necessary to see a physician. The objective of the present study was to determine under which circumstances patients were willing to accept additional efforts/expenses, and which role sociodemographic and clinical characteristics play in this regard.METHODS: Data collection was carried out in the context of a multicenter cross-sectional study among office-based and hospital-affiliated (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf) dermatologists. Patients (n = 309) with psoriasis and chronic wounds were surveyed about their mobility patterns and disease severity. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and multivariate methods.RESULTS: The willingness to accept additional efforts/expenses is primarily determined by a physician's expertise and service portfolio. Comparing both diagnoses showed that psoriasis patients usually traveled longer distances than wound patients. Among psoriasis patients, one significant predictor for accepting additional efforts/expenses was the level of education. With regard to wound patients, key factors included wound size (severity).CONCLUSION: The present study revealed complex mobility patterns among patients, which are affected by numerous personal as well as clinical factors. Depending on the diagnosis and individual preferences, additional efforts/expenses can - among other things - be explained by disease severity. Further studies are required to obtain more conclusive data.

AB - BACKGROUND: With respect to health care planning, it is commonly assumed that patients consult the nearest physician. In reality, however, patients frequently accept great-er efforts/expenses than necessary to see a physician. The objective of the present study was to determine under which circumstances patients were willing to accept additional efforts/expenses, and which role sociodemographic and clinical characteristics play in this regard.METHODS: Data collection was carried out in the context of a multicenter cross-sectional study among office-based and hospital-affiliated (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf) dermatologists. Patients (n = 309) with psoriasis and chronic wounds were surveyed about their mobility patterns and disease severity. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and multivariate methods.RESULTS: The willingness to accept additional efforts/expenses is primarily determined by a physician's expertise and service portfolio. Comparing both diagnoses showed that psoriasis patients usually traveled longer distances than wound patients. Among psoriasis patients, one significant predictor for accepting additional efforts/expenses was the level of education. With regard to wound patients, key factors included wound size (severity).CONCLUSION: The present study revealed complex mobility patterns among patients, which are affected by numerous personal as well as clinical factors. Depending on the diagnosis and individual preferences, additional efforts/expenses can - among other things - be explained by disease severity. Further studies are required to obtain more conclusive data.

KW - Attitude to Health

KW - Clinical Competence

KW - Clinical Decision-Making

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Educational Status

KW - Fees and Charges

KW - Germany

KW - Humans

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Patient Acceptance of Health Care

KW - Skin Diseases

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Travel

KW - Journal Article

KW - Multicenter Study

KW - Observational Study

U2 - 10.1111/ddg.13218

DO - 10.1111/ddg.13218

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 28314064

VL - 15

SP - 430

EP - 438

JO - J DTSCH DERMATOL GES

JF - J DTSCH DERMATOL GES

SN - 1610-0379

IS - 4

ER -