Abdul Ghafar Sherzad, Imran Zafarzai, Mohammad Sediqe Zahirzai, Abdul Nasir Jabarkhil, Mohammad Azim Azimee, Ali Jan Adil, Habibullah Mulavizada, Muhibullah Shinwari, Kamran Zafarzai, Qingchun Zeng
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Due to inadequate healthcare facilities and certain technologies in Afghanistan, many Afghan patients seek medical treatment abroad. Thus, this study aimed to determine the factors that influence Afghan patients' decision to seek medical treatment abroad.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 384 respondents in the center of the Special Commission, dispatching the patients to Torkham from June to September 2024 in Jalalabad City, Afghanistan. A non-probability convenience sampling method was used to select study participants. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the factors influencing their satisfaction level toward medical treatment in Pakistan.
Results: A total of 384 respondents were enrolled, including 64.9% male and 35.1% female. 88.10% of participants were satisfied with medical treatment in Pakistan. 49.5% of respondents obtained information about medical tourism primarily from relatives. Among them, 24.2% were cancer patients, 16% were cardiology patients, 10.1% were surgical patients, and 8.8% were kidney patients. Medicines used in Afghanistan are of low quality; Pakistan's availability of internationally accredited hospitals, cultural/religious similarity, well-experienced and reputable doctors, similar language, and high-quality medical facilities with internationally certified physicians and staff were top-ranked items. According to regression analysis, the facility and services factor was the strongest factor (β = 0.386, t = 8.508, p = 0.001), followed by the country environment (β = 0.213, t = 4.697, p = 0.001) and medical tourism cost factor (β = 0.142, t = 3.198, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: The study concluded that facility and service factors were the strongest predictors of medical tourism, followed by the country's environment and medical tourism cost. Therefore, healthcare providers and policymakers need to consider the diverse preferences of Afghan patients and provide accurate, accessible healthcare services and advanced professional training of the healthcare providers, including attitude towards services.
背景：由于阿富汗的医疗设施和某些技术不足，许多阿富汗病人到国外寻求治疗。因此，本研究旨在确定影响阿富汗病人决定到国外就医的因素。方法：对2024年6 - 9月在阿富汗贾拉拉巴德市托尔卡姆特委中心接受调查的384名患者进行横断面研究。采用非概率方便抽样方法选择研究对象。使用预先测试的结构化问卷收集数据。采用层次回归分析确定影响其在巴基斯坦就医满意度的因素。结果：共纳入调查对象384人，其中男性64.9%，女性35.1%。88.10%的受访者对在巴基斯坦的医疗服务感到满意，49.5%的受访者主要从亲属那里获得医疗旅游的信息。其中，癌症患者占24.2%，心脏病患者占16%，外科患者占10.1%，肾脏患者占8.8%。阿富汗使用的药品质量低下；巴基斯坦拥有国际认可的医院、文化/宗教相似性、经验丰富和声誉良好的医生、相似的语言以及拥有国际认证的医生和工作人员的高质量医疗设施，这些都是排名靠前的项目。回归分析结果显示，医疗旅游的影响因素中，设施和服务因素最显著（β = 0.386, t = 8.508, p = 0.001），其次是国家环境因素（β = 0.213, t = 4.697, p = 0.001）和医疗旅游成本因素（β = 0.142, t = 3.198, p = 0.001）。结论：设施和服务因素是医疗旅游的最重要的预测因子，其次是国家环境和医疗旅游成本。因此，保健提供者和决策者需要考虑阿富汗病人的不同偏好，提供准确、可获得的保健服务，并对保健提供者进行高级专业培训，包括对服务的态度。
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare (JMDH) aims to represent and publish research in healthcare areas delivered by practitioners of different disciplines. This includes studies and reviews conducted by multidisciplinary teams as well as research which evaluates or reports the results or conduct of such teams or healthcare processes in general. The journal covers a very wide range of areas and we welcome submissions from practitioners at all levels and from all over the world. Good healthcare is not bounded by person, place or time and the journal aims to reflect this. The JMDH is published as an open-access journal to allow this wide range of practical, patient relevant research to be immediately available to practitioners who can access and use it immediately upon publication.
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