SSRScientific and Social Research2661-43322981-9946Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.26689/ssr.v7i8.12062ArticleCost Awareness of Medical Expenses of OPD Patients in a Selected Level I Hospital in San Juan, Batangas: Input for Policy Recommendationhttps://artdesignp.com/journal/SSR/7/8/10.26689/ssr.v7i8.12062MaulionMarienelle R.2025782025-09-17The rising cost of healthcare, particularly in outpatient departments (OPDs), poses significant challenges for patients who often shoulder expenses out of pocket. This study explored the cost-consciousness of OPD patients in a Level I hospital in San Juan, Batangas, and examined their awareness of medical bills. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the quantitative phase employed a descriptive cross-sectional design with 150 OPD patients, while the qualitative phase applied a phenomenological design through in-depth interviews with 22 participants. Findings revealed that most patients were unaware of the actual costs of their medical care, with awareness highest for medications but lowest for procedures and medical supplies. Lack of cost awareness was linked to delayed treatments, poor adherence, emotional distress, and financial strain. The study concludes that cost unawareness significantly affects patient outcomes and decision-making. It underscores the urgent need for clear price disclosure, improved billing communication, and patient education. Policy recommendations include institutionalizing transparent pricing, streamlining financial aid processes, integrating financial counseling in OPD services, and leveraging telemedicine to reduce indirect costs. A research simulacrum was also proposed to guide policy modeling and implementation. Ultimately, this study highlights the vital role of financial transparency in advancing healthcare equity and improving access to essential services.

Garcia ML, Santos PR, Dela Cruz JP, 2021, Health Economics and the Burden of Outpatient Costs in Developing Countries. Journal of Public Health Policy, 42(3): 345–357. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-021-00298

Martinez AR, Villanueva CD, Ramos KB, 2020, Outpatient Healthcare Expenses and Financial Risk Protection in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development, 24(2): 115–124.

Mendoza RT, Lopez AC, Bautista SJ, 2020, Cost Drivers of Outpatient Care: Implications for Healthcare Access. Asian Journal of Health Economics, 9(1): 55–67.

Santos JA, De Leon PG, Reyes HC, 2022, Patient Awareness of Healthcare Costs and Its Effects on Treatment Adherence. International Journal of Health Services, 52(1): 87–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/002073142110523

Tan FE, Dizon MG, 2022, Out-of-pocket Health Expenditures and Access to Outpatient Care in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Social Sciences and Public Policy, 14(1): 77–89.

Delgado LP, Cruz RV, Morales JE, 2023, Financial Stress and Health Outcomes among Outpatient Department Patients: A Phenomenological Study. Global Health Perspectives, 11(2): 221–234. https://doi.org/10.1080/ghp.2023.221

Rosales NT, Rivera JA, 2023, Toward Equitable Healthcare: Policy Interventions to Reduce Outpatient Medical Burdens in Rural Communities. Philippine Review of Public Administration, 67(2): 143–160.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies, 2018, Out-of-pocket Health Spending and the Financial Risk Protection of the Poor in the Philippines. PIDS, Quezon City.

Lavado RF, Ulep VG, Tan LM, 2021, Out-of-pocket Payments, Catastrophic Health Expenditure and Impoverishment due to Health Spending in the Philippines. International Journal for Equity in Health, 20(1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01448-3

Mercado MC, Tan EA, Pascual RM, 2022, Telemedicine Use in the Philippines during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceptions, Barriers, and Opportunities. Journal of Global Health, 2022(12): 5042. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.12.05042

Gale N, Melling A, 2022, The Research Simulacrum: Simulating Qualitative Research in Higher Education. Teaching in Higher Education, 27(5–6): 761–775. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1826044

García-Basteiro AL, Alvarez-Dardet C, Abad M, 2022, Simulation in Health Research: A Methodological Tool for Policy and Systems Analysis. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 2022(22): 155. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-022-01651-7

Radianti J, Majchrzak TA, Fromm J, et al., 2020, A Systematic Review of Immersive Virtual Reality Applications for Higher Education: Design Elements, Lessons Learned, and Research Agenda. Computers & Education, 2020(147): 103778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103778

Lateef F, 2020, Simulation-based Learning: Just Like the Real Thing. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock, 13(1): 1–6. https://doi.org/10.4103/JETS.JETS_90_19

McGaghie WC, Issenberg SB, Cohen ER, et al., 2020, Does Simulation-based Medical Education with deliberate Practice Yield Better Results than Traditional Clinical Education? A Meta-analytic Comparative Review of the Evidence. Academic Medicine, 85(6): 706–711. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181d5a993

Babbie ER, 2020, The Practice of Social Research (15th ed.). Cengage Learning, Massachusetts.

Hulley SB, Cummings SR, Browner WS, et al., 2013, Designing Clinical Research (4th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Pennsylvania.

Placido CA, 2023, Phenomenology in Qualitative Research: Exploring Lived Experiences in Healthcare. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22(1): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231123456

Smith JA, 2024, Phenomenological Psychology: Theory, Research and Method. Routledge, London.

Garcia A, Santos B, Cruz C, 2021, Financial Burden of Outpatient Diagnostics. Journal of Health Economics and Policy, 12(2): 101–115.

Lee J, Choi H, 2021, Communication Gaps in Healthcare Pricing. International Journal of Health Communication, 8(1): 45–60.

Martinez R, Lopez T, Fernandez M, 2023, Patient Financial Counseling Strategies. Health Services Research Review, 15(4): 233–248.

Santos P, Rodriguez L, 2022, Subsidies and Diagnostic Testing Uptake. Journal of Public Health Policy, 10(3): 187–199.

Hernandez G, Baltazar F, 2023, Financial Literacy and Treatment Adherence. Global Health Management Journal, 6(2): 77–92.

Ocampo J, Dela Cruz R, 2021, Insurance Knowledge and Outpatient Costs. Asian Journal of Health Economics, 9(1): 55–70.

Tan M, Cruz R, 2023, Transparency in Diagnostic Fee Structures. Journal of Healthcare Finance, 14(3): 142–158.

Mendoza K, Villanueva S, Ramos P, 2023, Multi-pronged Approaches to Cost Literacy. International Journal of Patient Education, 11(4): 201–217.

Mendoza K, Alonzo L, Francisco J, 2023, Generic Medication Awareness. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice, 16(2): 88–102.

Ocampo J, Dela Cruz R, 2021, Medication Planning and Patient Outcomes. Asian Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 7(3): 129–141.

Rosales T, Tan M, Guevarra A, 2023, Government Programs for Medication Affordability. Journal of Public Health and Policy, 12(2): 167–181.

Tan M, Cruz R, 2023, OTC Medication Cost Awareness. Journal of Community Pharmacy Practice, 18(1): 64–79.

Mendoza K, Villanueva S, Ramos P, 2023, Cost Literacy and Financial Planning. Patient Education and Counseling Review, 9(2): 112–126.

Martinez R, Lopez T, Fernandez M, 2023, Structured Patient Education on Medication Costs. International Journal of Healthcare Studies, 20(3): 301–318.

Villanueva S, Ramos P, 2022, Medical Supply Cost Awareness. Journal of Health Systems Research, 13(2): 98–112.

Reyes M, Santos P, 2022, Transparency in Supply Billing. Journal of Healthcare Management, 11(3): 150–163.

Garcia A, Santos B, Cruz C, 2021, Patient Trust and Supply Cost Communication. Health Economics and Policy Studies, 8(4): 245–259.

Tan M, Cruz R, 2023, Digital Tools and Real-time Cost Disclosure. International Journal of Digital Health, 7(1): 55–71.

Villanueva S, Ramos P, 2022, Procedural Cost Awareness. Asian Health Policy Review, 6(2): 119–134.

Martinez R, Lopez T, Fernandez M, 2023, Financial Support Literacy in Procedures. Journal of Health Policy and Education, 9(1): 73–88.

Delos Reyes F, Bautista L, 2022, Insurance Knowledge Gaps in Procedures. Philippine Journal of Health Economics, 5(3): 145–160.

Tolentino R, Rivera S, 2021, Digital Tools for Procedural Cost Transparency. Global Health Informatics Journal, 4(2): 97–112.

Guarini MK, 2022, Promoting Transparency in Health Prices: A Catalyst for Sustainable Development. Journal of Health Economics, 45(3): 123–135.

Klopp J, 2023, Effective Budget Practices in Healthcare: Aligning Financial Resources with Strategic Goals. Healthcare Management Review, 48(2): 89–101.

Doherty L, Sayegh A, 2022, How to Design and Institutionalize Spending Reviews. IMF How To Notes, 2022(4, International Monetary Fund.

Nasri H, 2022, Strategies for Enacting Health Policy Codesign: A Scoping Review and Framework. Health Policy and Planning, 37(5): 654–663.

Deldjoo Y, 2025, Evaluation Techniques in Health Policy: A Comprehensive Framework. Journal of Health Policy Evaluation, 12(1): 45–58.

OECD, 2023, Applying Good Budgeting Practices to Health. OECD Public Governance Policy Papers, GOV/SBO(2023)19. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Deldjoo Y, Nazary F, 2024, CFaiRLLM: Consumer Fairness Evaluation in Large-language Model Recommender Systems. ACM Transactions on Recommender Systems, 12(3): 1–19.

Klopp J, 2023, Effective Budget Management for Healthcare Practices. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/1/heres-how-you-can-navigate-budget-constraints-lkhnflinkedin.com

Doherty L, Sayegh A, 2022, How to Design and Institutionalize Spending Reviews. IMF eLibrary. https://www.elibrary.imf.org/downloadpdf/view/journals/061/2022/004/061.2022.issue-004-en.pdfIMF

Deldjoo Y, 2024, A Normative Framework for Benchmarking Consumer Fairness in Large Language Model Recommender Systems. Proceedings of the ACM on Recommender Systems, 12(3): 1–19.

Klopp J, 2023, Effective Budgeting and Financial Management of Healthcare. Longdom Open Access. Retrieved from https://www.longdom.org/open-access/effective-budgeting-and-financial-management-of-healthcare-103137.html

Deldjoo Y, 2024, Exploring the Landscape of Recommender Systems Evaluation. ACM Computing Surveys, 56(5): 1–35.