Do Migrant Residents Really Achieve Health Equity by Obtaining Urban Hukou? A Comparative Study on Health Service Utilization and Urbanization in Central China.

Introduction: With more than 120 million rural-to-urban migrants, urbanization of the rural population requires deeply exploration in China. Objective: This study focused on settled citizens who obtained urban Hukou (household registration) during urbanization and investigated their perceptions of health services in China. Method: A cross-sectional comparison study with an original, closed questionnaire was conducted in two major cities of Hubei, central China, covering health status and both the satisfaction with and utilization of health services. In total, 863 residents with urban Hukou participated in this study; migrants formed the study group and original city residents formed the control group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce choice bias in the analysis steps. Besides basic description of the data, ordinary least squares regression (OLS regression) was used to discover the relationship between basic demographic indicators and health expenditure. Results: PSM yielded 290 effective pairs for analysis. The results indicated an improvement in health status for migrant residents (study group) with a higher average score of self-reported health status and lower prevalence of chronic diseases than the control group. These scores were also better than the standard urban level in central China. The study group showed a higher clinic visit utility (69.63%), lower hospitalization utility (8.28%), less convenience of health service utility, and lower health expenditure than the control group. For the study group, the biggest difference was observed in satisfaction with health service costs, which was the least improved aspect after they obtained urban Hukou. The regression results demonstrated that age, family size, living expenditures, and marital status impacted health costs in the overall model and the influences of these factors differed between the study and control groups. Conclusions: Obtaining urban Hukou helps migrant residents to meet their health service needs and receive equal access to health services. However, after obtaining urban Hukou, migrants also face great pressure in terms of health consumption. This study therefore offers guidance on the next steps for progressing China's urbanization.

Evaluation of patient experience in county-level public hospitals in China: a multicentred, cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Patient experience is being widely considered in the evaluation of healthcare service quality, which is a key target for public hospitals under China's New Healthcare Reform. This study aimed to illustrate patients' experiences in county-level public hospitals, and identify aspects that need to be improved. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Between 2016 and 2018, a cross-sectional study with 500 outpatients and 800 inpatients was conducted in 10 county-level public hospitals from Shandong Province, Hubei Province and Chongqing Municipality. METHOD: A three-part questionnaire was used to evaluate patients' experiences during their visits to hospitals. It comprised a questionnaire for basic information, the Picker Patient Experience (PPE-15) Questionnaire and the overall evaluation (a 3-point Likert scale to express patients' satisfaction and patient loyalty). Patients' experiences were classified according to six dimensions (information transmission and patient education, respect for patient preference, emotional support, physical comfort, involvement of family or friends and continuity of medical service). Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate patient experience. RESULTS: A total of 1241 valid questionnaires were analysed. The mean PPE-15 score was 41.33 (range, 23-56). The better the patient experience and satisfaction, the higher the patient loyalty (p<0.001). Except for hospital disparities, patients' age and occupation status had a significant impact on patient experience (p<0.05). Of the six dimensions, the physical comfort score was the highest, while the respect for patient preference score was the lowest. Additionally, a strong correlation was found between the respect for patient preference dimension and patients' overall satisfaction with their treatment experience. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital managers and staff members should pay close attention to the preferences of patients and their families to improve patient experience.