Can vouchers make a difference to the use of private primary care services by older people? Experience from the healthcare reform programme in Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT:

Background

As part of its ongoing healthcare reform, the Hong Kong Government introduced a voucher scheme, intended for encouraging older patients to use primary healthcare services in the private sector, thereby, reducing burden on the overwhelmed public sector. The voucher program is also considered one of the strategies to further develop the public private partnership in healthcare, a policy direction of high political priority as indicated in the Chief Executive Policy Address in 2008-09. This study assessed whether the voucher scheme, as implemented so far, has reached its intended goals, and how it might be further improved in the context of public-private partnership.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study using structured questionnaires by face-to-face interviews

SUBMITTER: Yam CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3200178 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature