A study protocol for the policy intervention design and development of the implementation strategies for direct access to physiotherapists in primary care: a sequential mixed-method study using implementation mapping and a Delphi survey.

Background: In many Asian jurisdictions, patients are required to obtain referrals from registered doctors before consulting physiotherapists. In contrast, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have a direct access model for physiotherapists designed across different healthcare settings and under prescribed conditions. While research has demonstrated the benefits of direct access, issues remain on the appropriate policy design for direct access in the context of patient safety and organizational challenges in the implementation.

Experience of a demand-side subsidy scheme for residential long-term care: perspectives of elderly and their carers.

Background: Vouchers, which are demand-side subsidies to targeted groups, are a type of consumer-led near-cash social transfer for specified benefits that have been used in education, health and other sectors. To provide better access to residential care services and an additional choice for elderly people in need, a novel means-tested residential care service voucher has been introduced in Hong Kong for elderly people to purchase places in the private sector to enable consumer-directed care. The objectives of this paper are to analyze the perspectives of voucher users and their carers toward the voucher scheme and to identify key elements in the design that will contribute to meeting the scheme's objectives.

Preference of caregivers on residential care homes for older persons with versus without communication problems: a discrete choice experiment.

Background: A residential care service voucher scheme has been introduced to expand the capacity and enhance choice of public-funded long-term care (LTC) in Hong Kong, enabling users to have greater choices over the types of LTC facilities. Older persons with communication problems have difficulties in understanding the care options available to them and expressing their preferences to care homes and daily service delivery, therefore hindering their ability to exercise control and choice. Thus, they may have different needs and preferences for the facilities than others due to their conditions.