title: Perception of the economic value of primary care services: a Willingness to Pay study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identify the economic value the user attributes to the visit to the family physician, in a setting of a National Health System, by the Willingness to Pay (WTP) expressed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Economic evaluation study, by the contingent valuation method. Questions were asked about WTP using a payment card format. Interviews were conducted with 451 subjects, in areas with different socioeconomic characteristics. An ordered probit was used to evaluate model's validity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median WTP expressed was euro18 (interquartile range euro8-28), not including "zero-answers" of thirty-four subjects (7.5%). This value represents 2% of average adjusted family incomes. Patients with higher incomes or with chronic illnesses presented a probability of 5-14 percentage points of expressing a high WTP. For every point of increase of patient satisfaction, the probability of presenting a WTP in the lowest range decreases 7.0 percentage points. Subjects with a low education level and those older than 65 expressed a lower WTP. Accessibility, risk perception, nationality and having private insurance were not related to the WTP expressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Users of primary care have a clear perception of the economic value of care received from the family physician, even in a framework of providing services financed by taxes and without cost at the moment of use. This value increases in subjects with higher incomes, with greater need for care, or more satisfied.
authors: San Martín de Valdeiglesias Health Center, 1st La Bola St., 28680 San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Madrid Health Service, Madrid, Spain. jmartinefe@hotmail.com
authors: Jesús
authors: J
authors: Martín-Fernández
authors: Tomás
authors: T
authors: Gómez-Gascón
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Oliva-Moreno
authors: María Isabel
authors: MI
authors: del Cura-González
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Domínguez-Bidagor
authors: Milagros
authors: M
authors: Beamud-Lagos
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Sanz-Cuesta
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018803:Models, Economic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000191:economics*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain