Hospital Selection Factors of Sleep Disorder: Sleep Apnea Versus Other Sleep Disorders

ABSTRACT

Objectives@#The hospital selection factor is the criterion based on the judgment of the patients’ decision process. We investigated the hospital selection factors of patients with sleep disorders and compared that for patients with sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. @*Methods@#This is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study that evaluated patients with a sleep disorder at the sleep unit of a tertiary referral center. We investigated the patients’ demographic information, occupational status, diagnosis of sleep disorders, and hospital-related and patient-related factors associated with hospital selection. @*Results@#A total of 138 patients with a sleep disorder were analyzed. Internet information was the primary data source for sleep apnea patients to select a hospital, while it was acquaintances for patients with other sleep disorders. None with sleep apnea gathered information from broadcast or print media. Patients gave the highest score for the least waiting time and recency of the hospital’s facility. Unlike patients with other sleep disorders, those with sleep apnea valued the hospital’s popularity, accessibility, availability of appointments at desired dates, and medical expense benefits. @*Conclusions@#This is the first study to analyze the hospital selection factors of patients with sleep disorders in South Korea. This study might improve the sleep medication as well as the medical system by revealing the medical use behavior of patients with sleep disorders.