Patient centered care factors influencing trust and satisfaction in healthcare facility choice in Hanoi, Vietnam

• Author Details:   
• Isha O. Shah
• Huu Cong Nguyen
• Do Thi Thanh Thuy
• Luu Hoang Linh
• Hoang Tu Le
• Lien Phuong Tran
• Mahika Jammula
• Anh N Tran
• Walter T. Lee ^*

Introduction: Vietnam’s healthcare system follows a pyramid structure, directing patients to seek basic care at local levels and escalate complex cases to central hospitals. Despite high insurance coverage, economic burdens like out-of-pocket costs and travel expenses often prompt patients to bypass local care, making quality and trust key factors in hospital choice—an area this study explores through patient-centered care perspectives.

Aim and Objective: The factors influencing healthcare facility choice in Vietnam have not been widely explored.

Materials and Methods: An exploratory mixed methods patient and provider survey study (n=38) was conducted at a large hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam. The study explored fourteen patient-centered care (PCC) factors that might influence patients’ trust and satisfaction in a healthcare facility, thereby, influencing their decisions on where to seek care – either to stay at their local health system or seek care further away. The patient survey results were compared with those of provider surveys to examine congruence of ratings.

Result: The quantitative ranking results of the PCC factors of both participant groups were similar. The following factors were valued highly by both patients and providers: perceived competency of providers (e.g. education, experience level); how providers answer questions and help to alleviate anxiety about medical treatment/procedure; and access to modern medical technology/treatments/resources.

Conclusion: These results show that both groups selected similar factors for both higher and lower levels of importance. Addressing these issues are important in any strategy aimed at influencing patient hospital choice.