Analysis of patients' willingness to be mobile, taking into account individual characteristics and two exemplary indications.
BACKGROUND
With respect to health care planning, it is commonly assumed that patients consult the nearest physician. In reality, however, patients frequently accept great-er efforts/expenses than necessary to see a physician. The objective of the present study was to determine under which circumstances patients were willing to accept additional efforts/expenses, and which role sociodemographic and clinical characteristics play in this regard.


METHODS
Data collection was carried out in the context of a multicenter cross-sectional study among office-based and hospital-affiliated (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf) dermatologists. Patients (n = 309) with psoriasis and chronic wounds were surveyed about their mobility patterns and disease severity. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and multivariate methods.


RESULTS
The willingness to accept additional efforts/expenses is primarily determined by a physician's expertise and service portfolio. Comparing both diagnoses showed that psoriasis patients usually traveled longer distances than wound patients. Among psoriasis patients, one significant predictor for accepting additional efforts/expenses was the level of education. With regard to wound patients, key factors included wound size (severity).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study revealed complex mobility patterns among patients, which are affected by numerous personal as well as clinical factors. Depending on the diagnosis and individual preferences, additional efforts/expenses can - among other things - be explained by disease severity. Further studies are required to obtain more conclusive data.
Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), German Center for Health Services Research in Dermatology (CVderm), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany.
Jobst
J
Augustin
Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), German Center for Health Services Research in Dermatology (CVderm), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany.
Ines
I
Schäfer
Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), German Center for Health Services Research in Dermatology (CVderm), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany.
Matthias
M
Augustin
Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), German Center for Health Services Research in Dermatology (CVderm), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany.
Nicole
N
Zander
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005249:Fees and Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014195:Travel / Q000191:economics*