Asymmetric information and health sector in terms of public economy rationale: The case of Kütahya province

The concept of asymmetric information started with the study of market failures by Arrow (1963). In markets where asymmetric information is experienced, the parties do not have equal and same level of information. Therefore, while the party with more and good information is superior, asymmetric information may occur for the party with less and bad information. One of the markets where asymmetric information is most intense is the health sector. The most basic principle of the relationship between individuals who demand and provide services in the health sector is information. The existence of asymmetric information in the health sector can lead to lack of information needs, increase in the perception of uncertainty, decrease in the sense of satisfaction, increase in insecurity and increase in economic losses. In this study, five factors that affect/determine asymmetric information in the health sector for Kütahya province were determined and a questionnaire was conducted with 400 individuals residing in Kütahya who went to the hospital at least once between 2021 and 2022. As a result of the study, it was found that the level of satisfaction differs according to gender, and the need for satisfaction and information varies according to marital status. According to the ANOVA (analysis of variance) results, there is a significant relationship between the need for information and age, income level, occupational groups, and education level; There was a significant relationship between satisfaction and income level and the preferred hospital type, and there was a significant relationship between trust and income level.