ArticleBMC complementary medicine and therapies2024
Urban-rural differences in preferences for traditional Chinese medicine services among chronic disease patients: a discrete choice experiment.
Article in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Is traditional Chinese medicine service accessibility associated with health inequality? Evidence from the distribution of health capital among rural residents in China.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Stated preferences in the Iranian health system: a systematic review of discrete choice experiments and conjoint analysis.Health economics review · 2026Review
- Factors associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine use among older adults with chronic diseases in China.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Factors influencing residents' willingness to choose medical institutions first for treatment in the highland agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai province: a study based on the Anderson model.Frontiers in health services · 2026Article
- Public preferences for preventative dental care: a discrete choice experiment in China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Provider and patient perceptions of traditional Chinese medicine service pricing reform: evidence from Northeast China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Spatial accessibility and equity of traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in Eastern China: application of improved two-step floating catchment area method.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWith the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the demand for medical services from chronic disease patients has become diversified and personalized. The advantages and role of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases gradually emerging. The preferences and willingness to pay for traditional Chinese medicine services (TCMS) among patients with chronic diseases, as well as any disparities between urban and rural patients, have not been examined in past studies.
objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the preferences of chronic disease patients for TCMS, explore the value/importance that patients place on different treatment attributes, and evaluate whether there are urban-rural differences in their preferences and willingness to pay for TCMS.
methodsA total of 317 patients from Jiangsu Province, China participated in a discrete choice experiment that elicited the preferences for TCMS. The choice questions were constructed by six attributes: out-of-pocket (OOP) cost, institution, medical provider, treatment method, treatment duration, treatment efficacy. Mixed logit models were used to estimate the stated preference and marginal willingness to pay for each attribute.
resultsThe choice preferences of chronic disease patients for TCMS in this study were influenced by the four attributes: institution, treatment method, and treatment efficacy, and OOP cost. Improvements in treatment efficacy were the most concerning, followed by being treated in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital. Patients were willing to pay more to get better treatment outcomes. Compared with primary care institutions, patients were willing to pay more for treatment in TCM hospitals. The preferences for economic attribute (OOP cost) varied between urban and rural areas, and rural patients tended to favor scenarios that imposed a lower economic burden on them.
conclusionThe chronic disease patients' preferences for TCMS were determined mainly by treatment efficacy but also by institution, treatment method and OOP cost. The urban-rural difference in preference identified in this study highlights that effective policy interventions should consider the characteristics of patients' demand in different regions.
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