The relationship between other people's recommendations, economic status, education level and service quality and the motivation of acehnese people to choose medical treatment in Malaysia

Abstract

Absract. Recently, the number of Indonesian people seeking medical treatment abroad is increasing. Data obtained from IMTJ (International Medical Travel Journal) in 2019 show that, there are about 1 million foreign patients, mostly from Indonesia, who seek treatment in Malaysia. This study aims to examine the relationship between the motivation of Acehnese to choose treatment in Malaysia and other people's recommendations, economic status, education level and quality of service. This research was conducted using a survey with a cross sectional design. The sampling technique was done using purposive random sampling with a total sample of 76 people. The results showed that as many as 55 respondents (72.4%) had received recommendations from others, as many as 48 respondents (63.2%) had a high level of education (S1/S2/S3). Furthermore, 42 respondents (55.3%) had a high economic status and 58 respondents (76.3%) had better service quality at overseas hospitals. Chi-Square testing showed that other people's recommendations, economic status, education level and quality of service provided a significant relationship to the motivation of Acehnese people to choose treatment in Malaysia with a P-value <0.05.

Conclusion: Other people's recommendations, economic status, education level and service quality motivated Acehnese people to choose treatment in Malaysia.

Keywords: Motivation, Going Abroad for Treatment, Hospital