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Table 3 Comparison of characteristics of respondents between those who agreed and disagreed with the idea of lowering out-of-pocket payments by low-income patients

From: Should co-payments for financially deprived patients be lowered? Primary care physicians’ perspectives using a mixed-methods approach in a survey study in Tokyo

 

Agree/necessary (N = 227)

Disagree/not necessary (N = 76)

P value*

Gender – male, %

85.5

76.3

0.065

Age groups (years), %

  

0.173

 30–39

1.8

5.3

 

 40–49

22.0

17.1

 

 50–59

41.0

34.2

 

 60 and over

35.2

43.4

 

Specialty – general practice, %

52.9

52.6

0.972

Experience of patients’ behaviors related to financial burdens during the past 6 months – any, %

   

 Loss of follow-up

58.0

42.1

0.016

 Medication nonadherence

51.6

40.8

0.105

 Postponing necessary tests

62.4

51.3

0.089

 Refusing referral to specialist

26.5

15.8

0.057

Decision making style, %

  

0.826

 Paternalism

39.4

41.3

 

 Informed consent

44.3

45.3

 

 Shared decision making

16.3

13.3

 

Explaining the cost of medication to patients – always, usually, or sometimes, %**

58.1

43.4

0.026

  1. *Chi-square test
  2. **Always, usually, or sometimes as opposed to seldom or never