Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://scholarhub.balamand.edu.lb/handle/uob/7651
Title: Exploratory analysis of factors influencing hospital preferences among the Lebanese population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: El Zouki, Christian-Joseph
Chahine, Abdallah
Ghadban, Elie
Harb, Frederic 
El-Eid, Jamale
El Khoury, Diala
Affiliations: Faculty of Medicine 
Keywords: Factor analysis
Health policy
Hospitals
Statistical
Issue Date: 2024-11-12
Publisher: National Library of Meficine
Part of: BMJ open
Volume: 14
Issue: 11
Abstract: 
Objectives
The primary aim of this research is to uncover the underlying factors that shape hospital selection criteria among individuals in Lebanon.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting
A survey was circulated across social media platforms and messaging applications in Lebanon from February to May 2023. This questionnaire aimed to gauge participants’ opinions on the importance of various factors in their hospital selection process.

Participants
A total of 746 participants filled out the survey. We targeted Lebanese adults who were not hospitalised at the time of survey submission.
Main outcome measures
We performed an exploratory factor analysis to examine the underlying structure of our 70-question survey. Reliability analysis was conducted using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. Factor scores were derived by aggregating raw scores and computing the mean.

Results
The survey results identified eight key factors that accounted for 58.02% of the total variance, with excellent sampling adequacy (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin=0.921, Bartlett’s p<0.001). These factors exhibited good internal consistency, as indicated by Cronbach’s alpha values for each factor. Ranked by importance for hospital selection, the factors are: staff qualities (α=0.773), administrative services (α=0.801), reputation (α=0.773), ease of access (α=0.704), room attributes (α=0.796), architectural and physical surroundings (α=0.828), luxury amenities (α=0.849) and affiliation and ownership (α=0.661).
Conclusion
This paper highlights the hospital characteristics that people may value before selecting a hospital. This insight provides an opportunity for hospital managers to refine their services, ensuring better resonance with people’s anticipations. Beyond this, it sheds light on areas where hospitals could strategically invest to elevate their competitive edge in the healthcare market.
URI: https://scholarhub.balamand.edu.lb/handle/uob/7651
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085727
Open URL: Link to full text
Type: Journal Article
Appears in Collections:Faculty of Medicine

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