Patient experiences in primary care do not differ according to rurality: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Primary Care Medicine
• Rural Health Disparities

Background:

• Rural living is a significant factor in health inequity.
• Addressing health inequity is crucial for primary care physicians.
• Comparing primary care quality in rural versus urban settings is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between rurality and patient experience (PX) in Japan.
• To utilize validated measures for assessing PX and rurality.
• This is the first study of its kind in Japan.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using online surveys.
• Stratified random sampling by sex and age.
• Japanese version of the Person-Centered Primary Care Measure (PCPCM) for PX and Rurality Index for Japan (RIJ) for rurality.
• Multivariate linear regression analysis.

Main Results:

• 800 participants completed the survey (71.9% response rate).
• Mean PCPCM score was 2.46 (SD: 0.73); median RIJ was 15 (IQR: 6-33).
• Rurality was not significantly associated with the total PCPCM score (adjusted coefficient: -0.02; p=0.114).

Conclusions:

• Patient experience in primary care does not differ by rurality in the general Japanese population.
• Findings suggest rurality may not be a significant determinant of primary care patient experience in Japan.