Table 4.
Grouped responses on the statements on the acceptability of waiting lists in health care (%, and mean scale scores).
Patients n = 255 |
Surgeons n = 99 |
OPs n = 93 |
GPs n = 63 |
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Waiting lists are an accepted part of an affordable health care service that is accessible for everyone. | Agree | 50ab | 59a | 40b | 59a |
Disagree | 36 | 31 | 52 | 33 | |
Since patients pay premiums for care, they should be given that care without having to wait. | Agree | 64a | 37b | 47c | 33d |
Disagree | 21 | 51 | 37 | 60 | |
Having to wait longer than two weeks for treatment is never acceptable. | Agree | 43a | 13b | 22c | 16bc |
Disagree | 40 | 81 | 68 | 76 | |
It is acceptable to have waiting lists even in a country as prosperous as the Netherlands. | Agree | 44a | 63bc | 57c | 71b |
Disagree | 41 | 25 | 36 | 14 | |
Scale scores for attitude towards the acceptability of waiting lists in health care | Mean* (SD) | -0.18a (0.90) | 0.50b (0.97) | 0.13c (1.04) | 0.65b (0.81) |
Note: Percentages do not add to 100 as response category "neutral" is not shown; the response categories "fully disagree" and "disagree to some extent" are combined into "disagree", and "agree to some extent" and "fully agree" are combined into "agree".
Note 2: The numbers of patients and surgeons do not correspond fully with overall response numbers. This difference is due to missing values on some statements (the number of missing values per statement never exceeded 3).
a,b,c: Non-corresponding superscripts between groups, indicate a significant difference in the responses (p < 0.05).
*Mean scale scores can range between -2 and 2 with zero indicating a neutral attitude; positive scores indicate a mean positive attitude.