How Can the Patient Affect the Change in Healthcare System?

Abstract

This study explores how patients drive meaningful changes in healthcare, focusing on accessibility, satisfaction, and service delivery through inclusive and interdisciplinary perspectives. Conducted in 2024, it analyzes healthcare trends from 2021 to 2024, emphasizing patient participation in decision-making. This sociological study highlights the interplay between healthcare accessibility and patient satisfaction within the broader framework of inclusive and interdisciplinary innovation. Findings reveal that while 99% of the population relies on primary care, barriers persist in accessing specialist services and navigating the doctor registration system. Reports of accessibility and quality issues increased from 30% in 2021 to 48% in 2024 due to organizational shifts, leading 29% of patients to seek private care to avoid long wait times. Healthcare utilization rebounded, with service visits rising from 23 million in 2020 to 28 million in 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Primary care, diagnostics, and specialist consultations dominate service use, while mental health, rehabilitation, and nursing remain underutilized. Emergency services serve nearly half the population, yet only 64% rate secondary care positively, exposing quality gaps. The study advocates for patient-centred reforms, reducing bureaucracy, enhancing accessibility, and fostering institutional collaboration. Structural investments are essential for sustainability, as private healthcare provides only temporary relief. By emphasizing patients’ roles in shaping healthcare policy, this research contributes to social innovation discourse. It challenges traditional paradigms by advocating a model where patient feedback and participation drive reform, aligning with SOCIN’s vision of inclusive, interdisciplinary, and impactful healthcare innovations.