A research on user contributions in healthcare financing

This study was carried out in order to determine the knowledge levels and opinions of people who have received health services from health institutions in the last year as of the date of the research. In the study, it was also aimed to reveal the opinions and suggestions of the shareholders regarding the implementation. Mixed research method was used in the study. In quantitative research, questionnaire was used as data collection method. In the study, a total of 670 people were reached through the goal-directed sampling method. As analysis methods, descriptive statistical methods and Chi-Square test were used in the study. In qualitative research, semi-structured interview technique, which is one of the interview types, was used as a data collection tool. Therefore, six open-ended questions were asked to the stakeholders. A total of 19 people were interviewed within the concept of the study. As a result of the quantitative research, 15.4% of the participants stated that they had information about the amount of user contribution being applied; 84.6% of them stated that they don't have any information about user contribution fees. 70.1% of the participants know that a certain part of the user contribution they have paid to the pharmacy is the price of the service they have received from health institutions. 15.2% of the participants stated that they have information about the situations, health services and people where user contribution will not be accepted. The interviewees stated that user contributions are used to prevent unnecessary health services, user contribution fees are in appropriate amounts, and user contributions have a positive effect on the development of health services in the semi-structured interview. It can be said that studies should be carried out to increase the knowledge level of people regarding user contributions in order to implement user contributions more effectively and efficiently as a result of these findings. Brochures explaining the issue can be distributed by the relevant institutions in order to increase the level of awareness among health care users and public service announcements can be published, especially describing user contributions.