Assessment of South Indian women's perspective on healthcare in India

Background:

The tremendous growth in the Indian economy has led to national improvements in the healthcare system and enabled Indians to seek a higher quality of healthcare. The purpose of this study was to explore South Indian women's perspectives on healthcare and gauge their awareness of recent innovations in the healthcare system.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was administered to women in obstetrics/gynecology clinics in the city of Coimbatore (n=257) and online (n=31). Respondents completed a questionnaire assessing (1) sociodemographic characteristics and (2) perceptions of healthcare quality and recent healthcare innovations in South India. Descriptive analyses were conducted.

Results:

Despite the widespread implementation of quality systems in Indian healthcare, 72% of respondents reported large differences in the quality of services offered by hospitals in their area; 75% reported awareness of at least one of six innovative systems used in Indian healthcare; 77% reported a preference for more expensive hospitals over a less-expensive one that is not quality certified and 59% reported an association between improvements in the quality of care and increased costs for the patient. Although respondents were willing to pay more for a quality certified hospital, cost and proximity were important predictors of utilization for minor ailments; reputation was important for major ailments.

Conclusions:

Results of this study indicate the need for addressing the wide differences in medical care quality among hospitals in South India. Regardless the variety of quality systems in Indian healthcare, most of the participants perceived that quality is associated with high cost.