Table 3.
Comparison of characteristics of respondents between those who agreed and disagreed with the idea of lowering out-of-pocket payments by low-income patients
| Agree/necessary (N = 227) | Disagree/not necessary (N = 76) | P value* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender – male, % | 85.5 | 76.3 | 0.065 |
| Age groups (years), % | 0.173 | ||
| 30–39 | 1.8 | 5.3 | |
| 40–49 | 22.0 | 17.1 | |
| 50–59 | 41.0 | 34.2 | |
| 60 and over | 35.2 | 43.4 | |
| Specialty – general practice, % | 52.9 | 52.6 | 0.972 |
| Experience of patients’ behaviors related to financial burdens during the past 6 months – any, % | |||
| Loss of follow-up | 58.0 | 42.1 | 0.016 |
| Medication nonadherence | 51.6 | 40.8 | 0.105 |
| Postponing necessary tests | 62.4 | 51.3 | 0.089 |
| Refusing referral to specialist | 26.5 | 15.8 | 0.057 |
| Decision making style, % | 0.826 | ||
| Paternalism | 39.4 | 41.3 | |
| Informed consent | 44.3 | 45.3 | |
| Shared decision making | 16.3 | 13.3 | |
| Explaining the cost of medication to patients – always, usually, or sometimes, %** | 58.1 | 43.4 | 0.026 |
*Chi-square test
**Always, usually, or sometimes as opposed to seldom or never