Factors Influencing Outpatients’ Perception of Ambulatory Care Insufficiency

The objective of this study is to examine factors influencing outpatients perception of ambulatory care insufficiency. This study used raw data from the 6th Korean national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES VI) conducted in 2015. We conducted a secondary data analysis. Regarding their opinion on the sufficiency of ambulatory care time that they had received, 78.8% of participants answered that the length of time they spent in ambulatory care was sufficient. Significant determinants of the perception of ambulatory care insufficiency regardless of doctors’ influence included education level, marital status, recent ambulatory care, osteoarthritis, and diabetes. These findings provide an empirical evidence for the importance of doctors’ full explanation and patients’ characteristics in explaining differences in the perception of the ambulatory care insufficiency. Therefore, it is important that education and explanation programs be provided by special nurses in order to supplement the doctor s insufficiency of ambulatory care.