Construction and Scale Development of Willingness to Utilize Primary Care Services: A Study from China

The willingness to utilize primary care services is crucial in explaining residents' healthcare-seeking behavior and decision-making in the context of the free choice of healthcare providers. This study examines China's family doctor contracting services system to elucidate the conceptual structure of the willingness to utilize primary care services and develop a reliable measurement tool.

The study was conducted in two phases. Firstly, in-depth interviews were conducted with community residents, resulting in 42 qualitative data sets. Subsequently, a measurement scale for the willingness to utilize family doctor contracting services was developed, and the scale was validated through two surveys using exploratory factor analysis (N = 250) and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 278), respectively.

By employing a grounded theory approach, this study analyzes the connotation of willingness to utilize family doctor contracting services. It constructs a conceptual framework for the willingness to utilize primary care services. This conceptual framework consists of three dimensions: perceived feasibility, perceived desirability, and perceived initiative. Based on this framework, a measurement scale comprising 14 items was developed and subjected to rigorous validation procedures to ensure its reliability and validity.

This study extends prior research on healthcare service utilization willingness by elucidating the internal willingness structure for primary healthcare services. It enhances our understanding of the connotation of healthcare service utilization willingness and develops a scientifically rigorous measurement tool. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into improving both the willingness and behavior of utilizing primary care services in healthcare systems where the hierarchical referral system still needs to be fully developed.