Patient experiences in small area of taiwan

Objectives: This study conducted small area estimation on health care experiences in Taiwan, with a focus on health care rights. The study compared 95 small area classifications and 50 medical areas in terms of the health care experiences of their residents. This study’s leveraged an existing data framework, and the proposed method does not require additional resources. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional survey conducted nationwide in 2019 to evaluate public opinions on the National Health Insurance program in Taiwan. Each subgroup survey had a sample size of at least 1,030 respondents (with a sampling error of ±3.05%), resulting in a total of 5,152 valid responses. Proportional probability sampling was used to divide the population into district-level units within townships and municipalities. This division was further refined by factors including gender, age, and education level, and numerical weighting was applied. Multilevel variance component estimates were then used to measure the relative levels of between-group and within-group variances. Results: Health-care experiences significantly differed between the 95 small area classifications and the 50 medical areas. These differences pertained to whether the doctor discussed care or treatment options with the patient during the visit, whether the doctor provided an opportunity for the patient to ask questions or express concerns, whether health care personnel at the medical institution provided hygiene education, and whether health care personnel at the medical institution used accessible language to explain the patient’s medical condition and the available methods of care. Significant local differences within each block may be underestimated if only the 50 medical areas are used as a basis for estimation. Conclusions: This study proposed a classification system of 95 small areas that can serve as reference points for future large-scale surveys for fine-grained estimations and comparisons of regional disparities.