Choosing between public and private or between hospital and primary care: responsiveness, patient‐centredness and prescribing patterns in outpatient consultations in Bangkok

Market incentives favour responsiveness and a patient-centred approach, but not more appropriate therapeutic decisions. Excessive use of pharmaceuticals is observed among public as well as private providers, but is most pronounced in private hospitals. If patients in Bangkok want to maximize responsiveness and degree of patient-centred care and yet minimize costs and iatrogenesis, they would benefit from avoiding hospitals, both public and private, and, to a lesser extent, specialists. Choosing to use primary facilities, health centres and clinics, particularly when consultations are carried out by general practitioners (GPs), is more beneficial than choosing between public and private providers.