User choice right realization of elderly home care service: application of Andersen’s behavior model

The aims of this study were to evaluate the degree of user choice right realization and to assess the determinants of user choice right realization focusing on the recipients of Korean elderly home care service including the Long-Term Care Home Care Service and Comprehensive Elderly Care Service. Following Andersen’s behavioral model, this study’s set of independent variables were organized into 4 factors (predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, need, use of health services), and user choice right realization is measured by summing up 6 multi-dimensional factors (provider, case worker, service time, content, quantity, communication). Using 466 respondents in 48 service agencies located in Jeollabuk-do, multiple regression with clustered robust standard errors was performed. This study finds that (1) the degree of user choice right realization of the sample is 3.99 out of 5 points; (2) the degree of user choice right realization differs by institutional nature, and (3) user choice right realization is influenced by information availability (enabling resources) and service quality (use of health service). Based on the results, methods for improving the level of user choice right realization are suggested.