MAPPING GLOBAL RESEARCH TRENDS ON HEALTHCARE SATISFACTION AND FUNDING MECHANISMS: A DECADE-LONG BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS (2015–2024)

Abstract

Introduction: Patient satisfaction, funding mechanisms, and health workforce performance are three critical pillars of modern healthcare systems. In a rapidly changing global context, evaluating research trends in these areas is essential to inform evidence-based policies and sustainable financing strategies. This study, thus, aims to explore the thematic evolution of global research on healthcare satisfaction and funding mechanisms over the period 2015–2024.

Methods: This research employed a bibliometric approach by analyzing 185 scientific articles indexed in the Scopus database between 2015 and 2024. The analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software to map keyword co-occurrence, temporal trends, and density visualization of research topics.

Results: Findings revealed a significant shift in global research focus across three main phases. In the early phase (2015–2017), research centered on clinical aspects and patient satisfaction. The middle phase (2018–2021) shifted toward managerial and organizational issues, particularly job satisfaction among healthcare workers. The latest phase (2022–2024) was dominated by themes related to public policy, financial management, and the role of government. Keywords such as patient satisfaction, healthcare quality, and human emerged as central nodes, while topics like government, therapy, and healthcare facility remained peripheral, indicating key research gaps.

Discussion: The results underscore that healthcare quality is influenced not only by clinical interactions but also by macro-level policies, financial governance, and workforce well-being. The study highlights the need for greater focus on developing country contexts, such as Indonesia, particularly in evaluating systems like JKN and INA-CBGs. Equitable, adaptive, and forward-looking financing approaches are essential to building resilient and inclusive healthcare systems.