Multi-Item Scale:
Item Text:
f) …your possibilities to choose the person treating you yourself? […Ihre Möglichkeiten, sich die Sie behandelnde Person selbst aussuchen zu können?]
Different Answer Format Tested:
Nein
Findings:
Serbian
Test person SER02 says that she would love it if her current doctor also became her primary care physician and she didn't have to change to another doctor due to relocation or other imponderables. The concept of free choice of doctor is understood by the test person.
Arabic
AR01 has no difficulty with the question. The test person claims to have been referred to a specialist by the primary care physician. She would have liked to have chosen another doctor but had to choose one because of the long waiting times with other doctors.
In answering the question, test person AR02 considered whether, for example in a joint practice, she could choose the treating orthopedist herself.
Farsi
Test person FAR01 finds the answer to the question "very easy" and states that she has chosen her current primary care physician herself and is satisfied with him.
Since test person FAR02 does not speak German and lives in a small village, she goes to a doctor to whom everyone there goes. The doctor in turn refers her to a specialist if one is needed. She herself does not feel that she has any say in the choice of doctors.
Russian
When answering the question, test person RUS01 thinks about whether it is possible to choose a specialist when referring a patient from a primary care physician to a specialist. In her experience, this possibility does not exist in Russia: "The doctor has to decide that, it does not exist in Russia" (RUS01). The test person would therefore not even think of asking for a doctor in Germany. The test person finds the answer to this question rather difficult, since the concept of free choice of doctor is unclear or unknown to him.
Test person RUS02 claims to have been treated by a Russian-speaking doctor during her hospital visit. There would have been no need (and probably not the possibility) to choose the doctor himself. Here it remains unclear whether the concept of free choice of doctor was understood.
English
Test person ENG01 has no difficulty in answering the question and understands the concept of free choice of doctor, which is the focus of this question.
Test person SER02 says that she would love it if her current doctor also became her primary care physician and she didn't have to change to another doctor due to relocation or other imponderables. The concept of free choice of doctor is understood by the test person.
Arabic
AR01 has no difficulty with the question. The test person claims to have been referred to a specialist by the primary care physician. She would have liked to have chosen another doctor but had to choose one because of the long waiting times with other doctors.
In answering the question, test person AR02 considered whether, for example in a joint practice, she could choose the treating orthopedist herself.
Farsi
Test person FAR01 finds the answer to the question "very easy" and states that she has chosen her current primary care physician herself and is satisfied with him.
Since test person FAR02 does not speak German and lives in a small village, she goes to a doctor to whom everyone there goes. The doctor in turn refers her to a specialist if one is needed. She herself does not feel that she has any say in the choice of doctors.
Russian
When answering the question, test person RUS01 thinks about whether it is possible to choose a specialist when referring a patient from a primary care physician to a specialist. In her experience, this possibility does not exist in Russia: "The doctor has to decide that, it does not exist in Russia" (RUS01). The test person would therefore not even think of asking for a doctor in Germany. The test person finds the answer to this question rather difficult, since the concept of free choice of doctor is unclear or unknown to him.
Test person RUS02 claims to have been treated by a Russian-speaking doctor during her hospital visit. There would have been no need (and probably not the possibility) to choose the doctor himself. Here it remains unclear whether the concept of free choice of doctor was understood.
English
Test person ENG01 has no difficulty in answering the question and understands the concept of free choice of doctor, which is the focus of this question.
Recommendations:
According to the two interviews, which were conducted in Russian, the principle of free choice of doctor is not known in Russia, so the interpreter first had to explain the intention of the question in more detail.
Irrespective of whether this is the case or whether respondents are only unaware that they are free to choose their doctor in Germany, the question arises if this option is appropriate for the context of a particular visit to be evaluated.
Irrespective of whether this is the case or whether respondents are only unaware that they are free to choose their doctor in Germany, the question arises if this option is appropriate for the context of a particular visit to be evaluated.