Theses (MBA In Healthcare Management)

There is a substantial body of literature that examines health insurance participation among the general population in Malaysia. However, limited attention has been directed to the involvement of healthcare personnel in Malaysia in relation to their participation in health insurance. The primary aim of this research is to examine the impact of sociodemographic factors, attitude, general perceptions, and perceptions regarding health insurance benefits and ease of claims on the participation in personal health insurance among healthcare personnel in a private and a public hospital in Malaysia. This study employed self-administered questionnaires as the primary data collection instrument. The findings of the study indicate a notable disparity with regard to the participation in personal health insurance between gender, professional category, and healthcare sector that the healthcare personnel work in. Whereas there is no statistically significant difference found between age and length of service in relation to participation in personal health insurance among healthcare personnel. Furthermore, a significant and strong positive correlation exists between individuals' attitude, general perceptions, and perceptions of health insurance benefits, and their likelihood of engaging in personal health insurance. Having said that, collaboration among government bodies, healthcare institutions, and insurance providers in Malaysia is crucial to effectively implement programmes, strategies, and initiatives that aim to improve awareness and comprehension among healthcare personnel in Malaysia regarding the significance of personal health insurance. Keywords: Health insurance Participation, Attitude, General Perception, Benefits

Aims: With the increasing complexity of healthcare system, there has been an increase in the need for more healthcare managers to manage the delivery of health services. Studies have shown that organizations with management practices, strong leadership, and clinically qualified managers have had greater performances. The application of Evidence-Based Medicine has long existed, which have led to the idea of applying the same within the field of management – Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt). This study therefore aims to understand the intention of these healthcare leaders to apply the practice of EBMgt in their decision-making process. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 234 healthcare managers in major private healthcare facilities in Malaysia. An online survey was distributed to healthcare managers from 58 private hospitals in Malaysia with MSQH accreditation. The survey was adapted from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and a fivepoint Likert scale was used for the measurement variables in this study. The data collected was exported to IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 26. Results: Attitude towards use of EBMgt has a direct positive effect on intention to use (β = 0.489, p ˂0.05) and so as with subjective norm which also indicated a direct positive effect on intention to use (β = 0.317, p ˂ 0.05). However, perceived behavioural control was found not to be statistically significant (β = -0.038, p ˂ 0.47) in relation to intention to use EBMgt. Conclusion: Attitude and subjective norms were significant to predict healthcare managers’ intention to use EBMgt which will likely lead to actual use of EBMgt in their decision making. Key words: Evidence-based management, EBMgt, Attitude, Subjective norm, Perceived behavioural control, Intention, Healthcare management.

As technology advances, the interest to transition towards digitisation has also increased. The challenges of telemedicine occur from lack of knowledge and technology adaptability, which may arise due to demographic alignment. This quantitative study seeks to use the TAM to investigate the relationship between factors perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude towards the intention to use telemedicine. In addition, the study will explore attitude as the main mediating factor on the intention to use telemedicine. A 19 self administered questionnaire with 210 respondents from private hospitals in Malaysia who have undergone telemedicine between the full-lockdown period. The descriptive analysis uses SEM-PLS path method for modelling relationship analysis. Results showed a strong relationship between all the mediating effects of attitude towards the intention to use telemedicine, and a negative relationship was found between the direct relationship of perceived usefulness and behavioural intention. This study concluded that attitude is more important than perceived beliefs as the determinant of the intention to use telemedicine. Keywords: Telemedicine, Intention to Use, Digital Healthcare, Perceived Usefulness, Attitude, Perceived Ease of Use, Patient-Physician Relationship

Technological evolution has revolutionized surgical procedures with robotic surgery emerging as a minimally invasive approach that offers a greater precision and faster recovery. However, the acceptance of robotic surgery in the Southeast Asia including Malaysia lags behind United States and Europe countries. Misconceptions and limited understanding still persisting, particularly among generation X individuals facing increasing health challenges. Concerns about costs, fears and scepticism lead to the preference for traditional surgery. The study aims to identify the determinants influencing the actual acceptance of robotic surgery. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) were used to identify determinates influencing actual acceptance. An online Google survey was distributed via purposive sampling to Generation X individuals with medical conditions and surgical history, particularly those visiting private hospitals. Results showed a positive correlation between modern technology use and perceived benefits with intention to accept robotic surgery, while familiarity and perceived concern had a negative impact (p<0.05). Behavioural intentions significantly influenced actual acceptance (p<0.05) and moderated relationships between variables. Greater use of modern technology, perceived benefits, and intention to accept are linked to increased acceptance of robotic surgery, while higher familiarity and perceived concerns may reduce acceptance. Healthcare organizations and policymakers should address safety, malfunctions, and costing concerns to enhance acceptance, especially as robotic surgery is still in early stages in Malaysia. Keywords: Behavioural intentions, Actual acceptance, Robotic surgery, Generation X, Healthcare

The public health system in Malaysia is overworked and underfunded, which ultimately causes the private health industry to provide personal health insurance. The insurance industry has direct relevance to the research topic. This study focuses on Personal Health Insurance (PHI) — a product directly offered and managed by insurance companies and Takaful operators. Purchase intention and purchasing decisions fall squarely within the core business operations of insurance product sales, customer acquisition, and policy retention. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing PHI purchase is strategically important for insurance companies to improve product design, marketing strategies, and sales effectiveness. There are frequent and long waiting periods for public health services, due to this, many patients choose to get personal health insurance to avoid the long waiting periods in public health services. Investigating the link between attitude, perceived usefulness, and insurance literacy and the intention to get personal health insurance, as well as the moderating influence of income level on the decision to purchase PHI, is the goal of this study. There are 218 participants in this quantitative study that uses non-probability convenience sampling. Distribution of online surveys with question items modified from earlier research like Al Mamun et al. (21) & Nomi & Sabbir (25) was used to gather data. Prior to the start of extensive data collecting, a PILOT Test was carried out to guarantee the questionnaire's dependability. Initial testing was conducted to assess the data's dependability. The data was compiled and analyzed using SPSS software, and the Multiple Regression Testing as well as Chi-Squared Test measurement was utilized to test the hypothesis. The findings of this study was conducted in Malaysia to indicate that insurance literacy has no significant link with purchasing intention towards PHI. However, attitude and perceived usefulness has a significant link with purchasing intention towards PHI. Regarding the income level, there are various mitigating factors that influenced the decision to purchase PHI. In light of this study, several suggestions were made for further investigation. Keywords: factors influencing purchase intention, attitude, perceived usefulness, insurance literacy, personal health insurance (PHI), income level, moderating effect, purchase decision

The transition to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) from paper-based patient records has presented various challenges, such as coordinating care, usability of software interfaces, privacy and cybersecurity issues, new types of medication errors, and psychological distress leading to burnout and a negative user experience. Similar difficulties have been observed in a specialized health center in Saudi Arabia that recently implemented new EHRs software with nurses expressing dissatisfaction towards the changes. This study aimed to identify and analyze the factors influencing the adoption of EHRs among nurses in Saudi Arabia. It employed a non-experimental cross-sectional research design with 141 clinical nurses participating. Drawing inspiration from several theories including Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, Technology Adoption Model, Diffusion of Innovation Model and Technology-Organization-Environment Framework; the proposed conceptual framework sought to establish relationships between EHRs usability digital competency attitude toward technology usage organizational training with perceived usefulness ease-of-use. Lastly it explores the role these variables play in fostering adoption of EHRs system. The results showed positive associations between usability, digital competency, attitude toward technologies, and organizational training with how easily adoptable the system was. The study did not explore the demographic implications on the adoption or whether a representative sample size could limit its applicability. Self-report questionnaires may introduce bias; however, despite this limitation, the innovative framework and insights provided could serve as a valuable foundation for further research in the field of health information systems.

Background: Obesity presents a significant health challenge in Malaysia. Despite bariatric surgery's proven efficacy in treating morbid obesity, its low uptake hints at possible issues with public perception and acceptance. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the non-patients’ knowledge and attitudes towards bariatric surgery at a private hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. By gaining insights into the factors influencing public perception and acceptance of bariatric surgery, the study provides a foundation for informed interventions and strategies aimed at combating obesity and improving healthcare outcomes. Methods: The study employs a cross-sectional design using a survey targeted at non-patients from multiple demographic backgrounds in a private healthcare setting. Using non-probability convenience sampling, the responses of 169 respondents were collected and analyzed through SPSS. Results: Analysis showed that gender, religion, and BMI had significant association with knowledge towards bariatric while sociodemographic factors such as age, and education levels held no bearing. Female, Muslims, and those with normal BMI were more well-informed with regards to knowledge on bariatric. On the other hand, age, and BMI (P = 0.027) had significant association with attitude towards bariatric surgery. Young adults and those who are overweight tend to view bariatric surgery in a more favourable light (P = 0.435). Conclusion: The findings showed that public perception towards obesity and bariatric surgery in Klang Valley is still limited. Coordinated effort by healthcare practitioners, media, and government health agencies is required to improve public awareness. Keywords: Bariatric surgery, morbid obesity, public perception, knowledge, attitude

This study investigates the relationships between general practitioners' (GPs) knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and referral intentions towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the Klang Valley, focusing on the mediating role of communication. This study aims to assess general practitioners' (GPs) knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and their referral intentions for CAM therapies. It also examines whether GPs' years of practice moderate the relationship between their knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and referral intentions. Additionally, the study investigates the mediating role of effective communication in the relationship between GPs' knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and their referral intentions towards CAM. Data were collected from 144 respondents, resulting in a response rate of 28.8%, which aligns with similar studies in healthcare settings. The questionnaire data were meticulously coded and analyzed using SPSS, ensuring no missing values and a high level of data completeness. Validity and reliability tests confirmed the accuracy and consistency of the survey instruments, with construct validity verified through factor analysis and reliability evidenced by high Cronbach's alpha values across all constructs (overall alpha = 0.892). Descriptive analysis revealed that the largest group of respondents had 11-15 years of experience, providing a balanced mix of early career and highly experienced practitioners. Inferential analysis supported the hypothesis that knowledge positively affects communication (Hla), with a significant path coefficient of0.318. However, attitudes (Hlb) and perceptions (Hlc) did not significantly influence communication, suggesting that other factors may play a more critical role. Furthermore, the study found that years of practice did not significantly impact the relationship between knowledge, attitude, practice, and communication (Hypothesis 2a- 2c).The mediation analysis highlighted that communication significantly mediates the relationship between GPs' knowledge, attitude, perception, and their referral intentions towards CAM. This emphasizes the essential role of effective communication in translating GPs' knowledge and perceptions into referral practices, thereby promoting a more integrated approach to patient care. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing communication strategies and targeted educational interventions to improve GPs' ability to discuss and recommend CAM therapies. By doing so, the integration of CAM into conventional medical practices can be further advanced, benefiting patient care. KEY WORDS: Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Knowledge, Attitude, Perception, Communication and Referral Intentions.