Theses (MBA In Healthcare Management)

This study investigates the relationship between key financial metrics and firm value, focusing on profitability, liquidity, and capital structure within the context of healthcare companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. This study aims to address a gap in the literature, where research on the healthcare sector in emerging markets, particularly Malaysia, remains limited. Using a quantitative approach, a firm-level panel data comprising of 160 firm annual observations from 2014 to 2023 were analysed. The study employed fixed effects panel regression models to examine the direct effects of financial metrics indicator on firm value, as well as the interaction effects among them. Firm size and firm age were incorporated as control variables to ensure a comprehensive analysis. The findings reveal that profitability, measured by Return on Equity (ROE), has a significant and positive association with firm value, supporting the premise that strong earnings performance enhances market valuation. Liquidity, proxied by the Current Ratio (CR), exhibits a negative relationship with firm value, suggesting that excess liquidity may reflect inefficient capital allocation or conservative financial management. In contrast, capital structure, represented by the Debt Ratio (DR), does not have a statistically significant effect on firm value, indicating that leverage may be less influential in this context. Notably, the three-way interaction between profitability, liquidity, and capital structure is found to be significant and negative, implying that simultaneous increases in these metrics may result in diminishing returns due to compounded inefficiencies. This study contributes to the financial literature by offering sector-specific evidence from Malaysia’s healthcare industry and underscores the importance of adopting integrated financial strategies. The findings provide valuable insights for corporate managers, investors, and policymakers aiming to enhance firm valuation through informed financial decision-making. Future research should expand to other sectors and incorporate qualitative factors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of firm value determinants. Keywords: Firm Value, Profitability, Liquidity, Capital Structure, Healthcare Companies

Oral health is an essential component of a woman’s general health and has a significant effect on maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity; nevertheless, it is not adequately addressed among expectant mothers, particularly in the private health care sector in Malaysia. The research investigates the present dental service intention plans of expectant women who received care at private health facilities in Malaysia. The study investigates both the determinants of dental care service intentions and the role of cost as a moderating factor in these intentions. Using a cross-sectional quantitative study and purposive sampling, 385 pregnant women were involved using a structured self-administered questionnaire on demographic data, dental care knowledge, attitude, education on dental disease, and cost perception. The results showed that there was lack of awareness and revealed that factors such as misconceptions on safety, cost, and access to health care were major barriers. The results of this study further support the need for specific educational interventions and present recommendations for health care providers and policymakers on how to improve oral health care intention among this population, which will in turn improve the health of the expectant mother.

This research study is primarily focused on the analysis of the determinants that affect behavioral intentions related to the actual implementation of electronic payment (e-payment) systems within the realm of primary healthcare services. The objective of this research is to assess the impact of behavioral intentions on the practical execution of e-payment mechanisms in primary healthcare environments. This investigation rigorously examines the influence of behavioral intentions on the actual adoption of electronic payment systems within primary healthcare institutions in Malaysia, with a specific emphasis on the regions of Penang and Selangor. It employs a cross-sectional research design, involving 431 carefully selected respondents from ten primary healthcare facilities located within these two states. This document analyzes how perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived value-added, patients' behavioral intention, and the actual usage of e-payment in primary healthcare facilities. This study holds substantial relevance for scholars, consumers, and providers engaged in electronic payment systems, as it elucidates that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived value addition constitute three of the three pivotal factors influencing patients' behavioral intentions regarding the actual utilization of electronic payment methods in primary healthcare services. A restricted array of academic inquiries has attempted to clarify which elements influence the adoption of electronic payment systems about their actual application, particularly from the standpoint of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and the Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT). Conversely, a plethora of researchers have focused on exploring the correlation between security and consumer trust concerning adoption intentions. Accordingly, this exploration seeks to augment the existing literature by clarifying the three aspects that govern both the intention to accept and the real application of e-payment systems in Penang and Selangor.

The integration of robotics in private healthcare pharmacies is the subject of this qualitative study, which looks at management's and healthcare professionals' perspectives, acceptability, and experiences. Key topics identified by the research include concerns, perceived benefits, generational and knowledge gaps, and widespread acceptance. This study uses phenomenology to explore the firsthand experiences of healthcare professionals and management regarding the integration of robotics in private healthcare pharmacies in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Focusing on private hospitals in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, 11 respondents from nursing, medical, pharmacy, and management roles were selected. Participants interviewed individually to uncover insights that inform implementation strategies and address concerns. The results show that although robotic systems are thought to be helpful for improving efficiency, reducing effort, and ensuring patient safety, there are numerous concerns over cost, job security, and technical difficulties. Successful integration requires thorough and ongoing training, strong support networks, and efficient feedback mechanisms. The study emphasizes the general benefits of robots for efficiency and care quality, and it offers suggestions for strengthening assistance and training to improve the integration process in private healthcare pharmacies.

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