Self-reported waiting times for outpatient health care services in hungary: Results of a cross-sectional survey on a national representative sample

Óscar Brito Fernandes; Armin Lucevic; Márta Péntek; Dionne Kringos; Niek Klazinga; László Gulácsi; Zsombor Zrubka; Petra Baji

doi:10.3390/ijerph18052213

Self-reported waiting times for outpatient health care services in hungary: Results of a cross-sectional survey on a national representative sample

Óscar Brito Fernandes, Armin Lucevic, Márta Péntek, Dionne Kringos, Niek Klazinga, László Gulácsi, Zsombor Zrubka, Petra Baji^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Bristol Medical School (THS)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

(1) Background: System-level data on waiting time in the outpatient setting in Hungary is scarce. The objective of the study was to explore self-reported waiting time for an appointment and at a doctor’s office. (2) Methods: An online, cross-sectional, self-administered survey was carried out in 2019 in Hungary among a representative sample (n = 1000) of the general adult population. Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis were carried out to explore if socioeconomic characteristics, health status, or residence were associated with waiting times and the perception of waiting time as a problem. (3) Results: Proportions of 90%, 41%, and 64% of respondents were seen within a week by family doctor, public specialist, and private specialist, respectively. One-third of respondents waited more than a month to get an appointment with a public specialist. Respondents in better health status reported shorter waiting times; those respondents were less likely to perceive a problem with: (1) waiting time to get an appointment (OR = 0.400) and (2) waiting time at a doctor’s office (OR = 0.519). (4) Conclusions: Longest waiting times were reported for public specialist visits, but waiting times were favorable for family doctors and private specialists. Further investigation is needed to better understand potential inequities affecting people in worse health status.

Original language	English
Article number	2213
Pages (from-to)	1-15
Number of pages	15
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	18
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052213
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding: This work was supported by the Higher Education Institutional Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Capacities in the framework of the ‘Financial and Public Services’ research project (20764-3/2018/FEKUTSTRAT) at Corvinus University of Budapest. The research was developed within a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (HealthPros—Healthcare Performance Intelligence Professionals) that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nr. 765141. In connection with writing this article, OBF, LG and PB received grant support from the Higher Education Institutional Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology in the framework of the Financial and Public Services research project (NKFIH-1163-10/2019) at Corvinus University of Budapest; MP from the Project no. 2019-1.3.1-KK-2019-00007 with the support provided from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary, financed under the 2019-1.3.1-KK funding scheme; ZZ from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement Nr. 679681).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

EQ-5D-5L
Hungary
Outpatient care
Patient experiences
Waiting time

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Fernandes, Ó. B., Lucevic, A., Péntek, M., Kringos, D., Klazinga, N., Gulácsi, L., Zrubka, Z., & Baji, P. (2021). Self-reported waiting times for outpatient health care services in hungary: Results of a cross-sectional survey on a national representative sample. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 1-15. Article 2213. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052213

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abstract = "(1) Background: System-level data on waiting time in the outpatient setting in Hungary is scarce. The objective of the study was to explore self-reported waiting time for an appointment and at a doctor{\textquoteright}s office. (2) Methods: An online, cross-sectional, self-administered survey was carried out in 2019 in Hungary among a representative sample (n = 1000) of the general adult population. Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis were carried out to explore if socioeconomic characteristics, health status, or residence were associated with waiting times and the perception of waiting time as a problem. (3) Results: Proportions of 90\%, 41\%, and 64\% of respondents were seen within a week by family doctor, public specialist, and private specialist, respectively. One-third of respondents waited more than a month to get an appointment with a public specialist. Respondents in better health status reported shorter waiting times; those respondents were less likely to perceive a problem with: (1) waiting time to get an appointment (OR = 0.400) and (2) waiting time at a doctor{\textquoteright}s office (OR = 0.519). (4) Conclusions: Longest waiting times were reported for public specialist visits, but waiting times were favorable for family doctors and private specialists. Further investigation is needed to better understand potential inequities affecting people in worse health status.",

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note = "Funding Information: Funding: This work was supported by the Higher Education Institutional Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Capacities in the framework of the {\textquoteleft}Financial and Public Services{\textquoteright} research project (20764-3/2018/FEKUTSTRAT) at Corvinus University of Budapest. The research was developed within a Marie Sk{\l}odowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (HealthPros—Healthcare Performance Intelligence Professionals) that has received funding from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nr. 765141. In connection with writing this article, OBF, LG and PB received grant support from the Higher Education Institutional Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology in the framework of the Financial and Public Services research project (NKFIH-1163-10/2019) at Corvinus University of Budapest; MP from the Project no. 2019-1.3.1-KK-2019-00007 with the support provided from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary, financed under the 2019-1.3.1-KK funding scheme; ZZ from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement Nr. 679681). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

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Fernandes, ÓB, Lucevic, A, Péntek, M, Kringos, D, Klazinga, N, Gulácsi, L, Zrubka, Z & Baji, P 2021, 'Self-reported waiting times for outpatient health care services in hungary: Results of a cross-sectional survey on a national representative sample', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 5, 2213, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052213

Self-reported waiting times for outpatient health care services in hungary: Results of a cross-sectional survey on a national representative sample. / Fernandes, Óscar Brito; Lucevic, Armin; Péntek, Márta et al.
In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 18, No. 5, 2213, 01.03.2021, p. 1-15.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Self-reported waiting times for outpatient health care services in hungary

T2 - Results of a cross-sectional survey on a national representative sample

AU - Fernandes, Óscar Brito

AU - Lucevic, Armin

AU - Péntek, Márta

AU - Kringos, Dionne

AU - Klazinga, Niek

AU - Gulácsi, László

AU - Zrubka, Zsombor

AU - Baji, Petra

N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This work was supported by the Higher Education Institutional Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Capacities in the framework of the ‘Financial and Public Services’ research project (20764-3/2018/FEKUTSTRAT) at Corvinus University of Budapest. The research was developed within a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (HealthPros—Healthcare Performance Intelligence Professionals) that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nr. 765141. In connection with writing this article, OBF, LG and PB received grant support from the Higher Education Institutional Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology in the framework of the Financial and Public Services research project (NKFIH-1163-10/2019) at Corvinus University of Budapest; MP from the Project no. 2019-1.3.1-KK-2019-00007 with the support provided from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary, financed under the 2019-1.3.1-KK funding scheme; ZZ from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement Nr. 679681). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021/3/1

Y1 - 2021/3/1

N2 - (1) Background: System-level data on waiting time in the outpatient setting in Hungary is scarce. The objective of the study was to explore self-reported waiting time for an appointment and at a doctor’s office. (2) Methods: An online, cross-sectional, self-administered survey was carried out in 2019 in Hungary among a representative sample (n = 1000) of the general adult population. Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis were carried out to explore if socioeconomic characteristics, health status, or residence were associated with waiting times and the perception of waiting time as a problem. (3) Results: Proportions of 90%, 41%, and 64% of respondents were seen within a week by family doctor, public specialist, and private specialist, respectively. One-third of respondents waited more than a month to get an appointment with a public specialist. Respondents in better health status reported shorter waiting times; those respondents were less likely to perceive a problem with: (1) waiting time to get an appointment (OR = 0.400) and (2) waiting time at a doctor’s office (OR = 0.519). (4) Conclusions: Longest waiting times were reported for public specialist visits, but waiting times were favorable for family doctors and private specialists. Further investigation is needed to better understand potential inequities affecting people in worse health status.

AB - (1) Background: System-level data on waiting time in the outpatient setting in Hungary is scarce. The objective of the study was to explore self-reported waiting time for an appointment and at a doctor’s office. (2) Methods: An online, cross-sectional, self-administered survey was carried out in 2019 in Hungary among a representative sample (n = 1000) of the general adult population. Chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis were carried out to explore if socioeconomic characteristics, health status, or residence were associated with waiting times and the perception of waiting time as a problem. (3) Results: Proportions of 90%, 41%, and 64% of respondents were seen within a week by family doctor, public specialist, and private specialist, respectively. One-third of respondents waited more than a month to get an appointment with a public specialist. Respondents in better health status reported shorter waiting times; those respondents were less likely to perceive a problem with: (1) waiting time to get an appointment (OR = 0.400) and (2) waiting time at a doctor’s office (OR = 0.519). (4) Conclusions: Longest waiting times were reported for public specialist visits, but waiting times were favorable for family doctors and private specialists. Further investigation is needed to better understand potential inequities affecting people in worse health status.

KW - EQ-5D-5L

KW - Hungary

KW - Outpatient care

KW - Patient experiences

KW - Waiting time

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85101270393

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph18052213

DO - 10.3390/ijerph18052213

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

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VL - 18

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JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

IS - 5

M1 - 2213

ER -

Self-reported waiting times for outpatient health care services in hungary: Results of a cross-sectional survey on a national representative sample

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