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To understand the structure and dynamics of the
private health sector in AP, we studied a sample of 256 health
care institutions (HCIs) consisting of 150 HCIs from the private
sector and 106 HCIs from the public sector. Three types of HCIs
were sampled from both the sectors. These are clinics, small
hospitals of 30 to 100 beds and big hospitals with 100 or more
beds. The clinics sample included solo clinics, nursing homes with
less than 10 beds, primary health centres (PHC), dispensaries etc.
The sample of HCIs from private sector consisted of 76 clinics, 69
small hospitals and 10 big hospitals. The public sector sample had
53 PHCs, 41 small hospitals and 12 big hospitals. Six
questionnaires were used to collect information. These include (a)
a questionnaire to collect basic information of all HCIs in the
sample, (b) a questionnaire for private HCI owner-managers, (c)
the diagnostic facility questionnaire, (d) the health care
professionals (HCPs) questionnaire to assess job satisfaction of
HCPs working in private and public sector, (e) a patient exit
interview form to assess levels of patient satisfaction in private
and public sector, and (f) an instrument to survey alternate
private practitioners (APP). The diagnostic facilities and APPs
were located through the HCIs in the primary sample. For the exit
interview around 10 patients were sampled from each HCI in the
primary sample. Primary data collected in this do not allow us to
examine evidence about all relevant policy issues and research
questions about private health sector. Hence we supplement by
analysis of secondary data collected from other sources in India.
In addition we review the literature, particularly from a some
what similarly placed mixed economy like the United States.
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