Do Economic Conditions and In-Kind Benefits Make Needy Patients Bond Together? Insights from Cross-Section Data on Clusters of Co-Located Patients in Vietnam

Biomedical Research, Vol. 28, No. 14, pp. 6103-6107.

5 Pages Posted: 22 Aug 2017

See all articles by Quan Hoang Vuong

Quan Hoang Vuong

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management; Phenikaa University

Ha Nguyen

FPT University School of Business (FSB)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: August 15, 2017

Abstract

Introduction: The phenomenon of desperate patients living together in voluntary co-location clusters has been emerging over the past decade in Vietnam. Patients seek to share facilities, reduce costs and rely on one another for support to make life safer and less miserable. There has not been much research on these clusters and patients' bonding to their community.

Methods: The study uses a cross-section data set containing 336 observations from four patients’ colocation clusters, collected from 2015 Q4 to 2016 Q1. The analysis employs the baseline category logits model for dichotomous variable, and reports logistic regression results. The main hypothesis is both economic conditions and in-kind benefits received from the community have influence on patients' bonding to their community.

Results: Both personal economic conditions and benefits are found statistically significant, but the inkind benefits decrease the bonding strength of the community, while the impact of economic instability is as expected. The strongest factor that serves to bond the patients together is the free will and predetermination of patients themselves to join the community.

Discussion: Patients in unstable conditions will more likely to stick to the co-location community. But those in better economic conditions show a more complex need and their perceptions change depending on the specific conditions. In-kind benefits are not what poorer patients expect and when they see these benefits from the community as “substitutes” for financial means, their expectation of sticking to the community declines.

Keywords: Patients’ quality of life, Medical expenses, Personal economic conditions, In-kind benefits, Bonding strength

JEL Classification: I12, I19

Suggested Citation

Vuong, Quan Hoang and Nguyen, Ha, Do Economic Conditions and In-Kind Benefits Make Needy Patients Bond Together? Insights from Cross-Section Data on Clusters of Co-Located Patients in Vietnam (August 15, 2017). Biomedical Research, Vol. 28, No. 14, pp. 6103-6107., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3020670

Quan Hoang Vuong (Contact Author)

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management ( email )

ULB CP 145/01
21 Ave. F.D. Roosevelt
Brussels, Bruxelles 1050
Belgium
+32-2-6504864 (Phone)
+32-2-6504188 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ceb-ulb.com/vuong-quan-hoang.html

Phenikaa University ( email )

To Huu road, Yen Nghia
Ha Dong district
Hanoi, Hanoi 100803
Vietnam

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/site/vuongqh2019/

Ha Nguyen

FPT University School of Business (FSB) ( email )

VAS Building C
My Dinh 1, Tu Liem District
Hanoi, 100000
Vietnam

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