Voting with their feet: public hospitals, health reform, and patient choices.
OBJECTIVE
This study identified public hospital patients' preferences under managed care and health reform.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of 348 ambulatory public hospital patients was conducted.


RESULTS
Patients reported a high degree of loyalty to the public hospital given several hypothetical reform scenarios. Those patients who stated they would remain at the hospital increased (from 74.2% to 85.5%) when care elsewhere required copayment for medications and physician visits.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients at one public hospital reported a high likelihood of remaining in the public system, and this likelihood increased when copayment for services was required elsewhere.
Ansell
D
D
Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Ill. 60612, USA.
Schiff
G
G
Dick
S
S
Cwiak
C
C
Wright
K
K
D000328:Adult; D002641:Chicago; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care