Preferred Service Provider Research Articles

Choosing health facilities and impact factors of the choice in context of tiered medical system: A questionnaire survey of opinions of patients with multi-morbidity

BackgroundIn recent years, there has been limited research in China on the behavior of patients with multi-morbidity in choosing healthcare facilities under tiered medical system. Exploring the pattern of their choice will inform to better policy practice. ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze the behavior of patients with multi-morbidity in choosing healthcare facilities in context of tiered medical system, and its influencing factors. This will provide a reference for further implementing the tiered medical system and the rational allocation of medical resources. MethodsUsing a random sampling method, we selected patients with multi-morbidity who attended from June 1, 2019, to January 1, 2020, at the Shanghai Yangpu District Central Hospital Regional Medical Group, which includes Shanghai Yangpu District Central Hospital and three community health centers (Dinghai, Yanji, and Changbai). A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect general data from patients with multi-morbidity, to understand their awareness and actual compliance with the tiered medical system policy, their willingness to first visit community health centers under different disease control conditions, and the factors they consider when choosing healthcare facilities. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing the decision of patients with multi-morbidity to choose community health center for their initial consultation. ResultsA total of 1,100 questionnaires were distributed, and 1,072 valid questionnaires were completed, with a response rate of 97.45 %. Of the 1,072 participants with multi-morbidity, 912 (85.07 %) were aged above 60 years old; 624 participants (58.21 %) were aware of the tiered medical system; 940 participants (87.69 %) were willing to follow the design of medical treatment process under tiered medical system; 368 participants (34.33 %) were very familiar with the “1+1+1” (patients can choose one community health centre, one district hospital and one city hospital as preferred medical facilities, so called ‘1+1+1’ preference) combination contract project; 964 participants (89.93 %) had participated in the “1+1+1” combination contract project, but among these, 44 participants (4.56 %) chose non-contract medical facilities for their current medical treatment. 86.57 % (928/1072) patients with stable multiple conditions and 85.82 % (920/1072) patients with mild poorly controlled conditions choose community health centre as their first preferred medical provider. The factors considered by participants with multi-morbidity when choosing healthcare facilities were ranked by average score as follows: medical accessibility (5.50), medical technology level (5.13), patient satisfaction (3.74), medical insurance (3.60), medical expenses (2.93), and other factors (2.24). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that age and medical insurance were significant influencing factors in the decision to choose community health center for their initial consultation (P<0.05). ConclusionOlder adults are the most affected group by multi-morbidity and the main group choosing community health centre as their preferred medical service providers. Compared to regional medical centers, community health center has higher accessibility, which is a favorable factor for achieving first consultations in primary care for patients with multi-morbidity. Therefore, accelerating the construction of regional medical group, promoting the sharing and applying of high-quality resources in primary care, and improving the service quality and capacity of primary care facilities are beneficial for achieving the first consultations in primary care advocated by tiered medical system.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis on the Preference of Courier Service Providers with Analytic Hierarchy Process Model

The rising interest in E-commerce has increased the reliance on courier service providers in Malaysia. However, the logistical performances of the courier service providers in Malaysia still require improvement especially in the enhancement of information system adoption as the providers are suffering from bottlenecks in some hubs and centres which affect the satisfaction of clients and the reputation of the online retailers. Online retailers place high concern in the performances of the courier service providers as their services affect the sales and revenues of the online retailers. Therefore, the goal of this study is to propose a framework to determine and rank the factors that affect the selection of courier service providers among online retailers in Malaysia with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model. This study found that real time notification, cost and timeliness are the three most important factors of consideration while GDEX is the highly preferred courier service provider among the online retailers. This study can serve as a guide to the courier service providers to improve based on the top factors that influence the selection of their services.

Multicriteria Decision Making for the Choice of the Global System for Mobile Telecommunication

When multiple conflicting criteria are available and must be considered, Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), a subfield of operations research, aids the decision maker in addressing the problem. The use of MCDM, a valuable and effective technique that may be applied in situations of certainty or uncertainty, makes it easier to integrate quantitative and qualitative assessments into scientific procedures. However, many Nigerians are found to retain more than one Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in response to which of the network providers is best suited to meet their needs. This will help to minimize the number of SIM cards each person will carry, consequently reducing the cost of maintaining them. The aim of this study is to recognize and prioritize the most important mobile service provider criteria in the telecom industry in Borno State, Nigeria. Seven attributes were selected from the literature and customers. Questionnaires were systematically distributed, utilizing convenience and deliberate sampling, to 1200 customers. MTN and AIRTEL are the two most preferred service providers over the other operators within the competitive environment. It is advised that to increase their customer base, service providers in the research region enhance network connectivity, low call rates, and voice clarity.

COVID-19 and the Level of Cloud Computing Adoption: A Study of Sri Lankan Information Technology Organisations

The study’s main objective is to analyse the level of cloud computing adoption and usage during COVID-19 in Sri Lanka, especially in Information Technology (IT) organisations. Using senior IT employees, this study investigates what extent their organisation adopts with cloud computing, the level of cloud computing usage, current use of cloud service model, usage of cloud deployment model, preferred cloud service providers and reasons for adopting and not adopting cloud computing. The study also describes why cloud computing is a solution for new normal situations and the cloud-enabled services used during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The finding suggests that 87.7% of the organisations currently use cloud-enabled services, whereas 12.3% do not and intend to adopt. Considering the benefits, cloud computing is the solution post COVID-19 pandemic to run the business way forward. Keywords: Cloud Computing, COVID-19, COVID-19 Pandemic, Cloud-enabled Services, Sri Lanka DOI: 10.7176/JIEA/13-2-02 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

An Integrated Node Selection Model Using FAHP and FTOPSIS for Data Retrieval in Ubiquitous Computing

Ubiquitous computing (UC) is an advanced computing concept that makes services and computing available everywhere and anytime. In UC, data lies at the heart of all UC applications, and the key technologies that are required to make UC a reality are data and task management. In this context, retrieving data is influenced by the dynamic nature of these systems in addition to human and sensor failures. So the main problem is how to select the most appropriate service provider for retrieving data. Retrieving data is a complex issue that requires an extensive evaluation process and is one of the biggest challenges in UC. In addition, not every eventuality in these systems can be predicted due to their dynamic nature. As a result, there is a strong need to address the uncertainty in context data. In this paper, to assist users to efficiently select their most preferred service provider for retrieving data, a new fuzzy integrated multicriteria decision-making model, which meets quality of context (QoC) and quality of service (QoS) and satisfies user quality requirements and needs, is proposed. The proposed model is based on four stages. In the initial stage, the identification of evaluation criteria is performed due to the varying importance of the selected criteria. In the second stage, a fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) procedure is utilized to assign importance weights to each criterion. In the third stage, the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity of an Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS) is used to evaluate and measure the performance of each alternative. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed to check the robustness and the applicability of the proposed model.

Interassociation Consensus Statement on Sports Nutrition Models for the Provision of Nutrition Services From Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Collegiate Athletics.

Collegiate athletic programs are increasingly adding nutrition services to interdisciplinary sports medicine and sports performance departments in response to scientific evidence highlighting nutrition's integral role in supporting athletic performance and overall health. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) specializing in sports dietetics (ie, sports RDNs) and credentialed Board-certified Specialists in Sports Dietetics (CSSDs) are the preferred nutrition service providers for these programs. Their extensive training and proficiency in medical nutrition therapy, education and behavioral counseling, food-service management, exercise physiology, physical performance, and administration, as defined by the "Standards of Practice and "Standards of Professional Performance" for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Sports Nutrition and Human Performance," make these practitioners uniquely qualified to deliver the breadth of care required in the collegiate setting. Therefore, this document, guided by a multidisciplinary panel, introduces 4 sports nutrition models through which any collegiate athletic program can deliver sports RDN-directed nutrition services. In each model, the most effective staffing and scope of service are indicated and reviewed. In addition, recommended organizational structures for sports RDNs are provided that best support the delivery of the model's nutrition services in a variety of collegiate athletic programs and organizational settings. Lastly, future research initiatives and nutrition interventions to help improve the standard of care through these sport nutrition models are explored.

Assessing CD4 rejections across a national laboratory service for 2018 in South Africa: highlighting the importance of adherence to national handbook guidelines.

The National Health Laboratory Service as the preferred pathology service provider for the public health sector in South Africa, developed a national laboratory handbook to improve the clinic-laboratory-interface. A separate primary health care laboratory handbook was developed as part of the ideal clinic initiative by the National Department of Health. This study aimed to assess adherence to these guidelines using CD4 rejections the indicator. The retrospective crosssectional study design was used to analyse national laboratory data for the period from January to December 2019. Data were analysed using SAS 9.4. Lookup tables assigned the origin (health facility/laboratory), rejection reason, and sub-reason based on the populated rejection description that was captured in the laboratory information system. The rejection rate [RR = (rejections/total volume) ´ 100] was reported at the national, provincial and district levels. There were 85,378 rejections reported for 2,844,242 tests (RR 3.0%). Data was reported for 4136 health facilities across nine provinces. The RR was higher for an origin defined as health facility (2.9%) than laboratories (0.1%). The most common rejection reason was unsuitable specimen received (RR=2.3%), representing 75% of all rejections. This rejection criteria included using the incorrect anticoagulant, clotted sample and haemolysis. The provincial RR ranged from 2.2% to 4.0%. Three districts had an elevated RR ≥6% (organisational cut-off set at RR ≤5%). This study demonstrated the value of laboratory data to assess specimen rejections and identify causes to facilitate targeted training.

Lonza, WuXi sign omnibus service deals

Lonza has signed a 5-year agreement to provide small-molecule and biologics development and manufacturing services for biotech companies in the portfolio of the Belgian investment firm Bioqube Ventures. Lonza will provide late-discovery and early-development services intended to accelerate timelines for new drugs. Bioqube, launched last year, has four companies in its portfolio. Meanwhile, the drug services firm WuXi STA has become the preferred service provider to China’s Coherent Biopharma for future small-molecule, peptide, and oligonucleotide drug candidates.

Reducing unmet need for contraceptive services among youth in Homabay and Narok counties, Kenya: the role of community health volunteers \u2013 a qualitative study

BackgroundAccess to contraceptive services is a cornerstone of human well-being. While Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) promote family planning in Kenya, the unmet need for contraceptives among youth remains high. CHVs seem to pay little specific attention to the contraceptive needs of the youth.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study exploring the role of CHVs in increasing access and uptake of contraceptive services among youth aged 18–24 years in Narok and Homabay Counties, Kenya. We undertook 37 interviews and 15 focus group discussions involving CHVs, youth, community members, community leaders, youth leaders and health programme managers. Data were recorded, transcribed, translated, coded and thematically analysed, according to a framework that included community, CHV and health system-related factors.ResultsCHVs often operated in traditional contexts that challenge contraceptive use among unmarried female and male youth and young married couples. Yet many CHVs seemed to have overcome this potential ‘barrier’ as well as reigning misconceptions about contraceptives. While private and facility-based public contraceptive services were somehow available, CHVs were the preferred service provider for many youth due to ease of access and saving time and transport costs. This was influenced by varied perceptions among youth of CHVs’ knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding contraceptives and provider-client interaction, and specifically their commitment to maintain confidentiality.ConclusionsCHVs have the potential to increase access to contraceptives for young people, reducing unmet need for contraceptives. Their knowledge, skills and attitudes need strengthening through training and supervision, while incentives to motivate them and broadening the range of contraceptives they are allowed to offer should be considered.

Aggregate remittance cost and diaspora financing of overseas Filipino teachers in the kingdom of Thailand

The fundamental of this research is centered on determining the aggregate remittance cost and diaspora financing of Overseas Filipino Teachers (OFTs) in the Kingdom of Thailand. The Philippines is second to India with the highest total remittances from 1995-1999 (Gammeltoft, 2002). Given the fact that the Philippines ranks second in terms of remittances, the researcher is interested in determining the aggregate cost of sending remittances to the Philippines and propose the most cost-efficient and cost-effective remittance service provider. This is a related study to the previous research on Working Capital Management Practices of OFTs which was presented in Johor Bahru, Malaysia in 2017. The researcher employed and comparative research using a mixed method–partly quantitative and qualitative in order to address the statement of the problem. In descriptive research, it involves collecting information through data review, surveys, interviews, and observation subjected for a data analysis (Kefela, 2011). The researcher used a survey questionnaire and interview schedule in obtaining information relevant to this study. Primary data were provided by the OFTs who are legally teaching in Thailand for at least one year. There were 120 plus OFTs who were suryveyed and interviewed but only 53 were qualified respondents because they were out of scope and delimited from this study. Secondary financial data were also utilized. One of the momentous findings in this study is the significant switch of OFTs just recently in terms of their preferred remittance service provider. Ria remittance becomes the most preferred remittance agent of OFTs. Ria, a money transfer company has recently partnered with the Government Savings Bank (GSB) in Thailand. Ria offers a cost savings of more than 50% compared to prominent remittance agents such as the Western Union (WU). Ria and Money Gram both charge a¸?150.00 per transaction. However, Ria offers higher exchange rate. The study also revealed that 69.82% of the OFTs have a salary range of a¸?20,000 to a¸?30,000 and cash remittance ranges from a¸?5,000 to a¸?1,000 which is 25% of their salary. Policy makers of the Philippine government are encouraged to revisit the current financial literacy programs concerning OFWs in general. Further study may deal on the threats faced by WU and other remittance agents resulting to the partnership of Ria Remittance with GSB.

Selection of a sustainable third-party reverse logistics provider based on the robustness analysis of an outranking graph kernel conducted with ELECTRE I and SMAA

Pressure from legislation and customers has motivated companies to consider reverse logistics (RL) in their operations. Since it is a complex procedure that requires an adequate system, the recent trend consists in outsourcing RL to third-party reverse logistics providers (3PRLPs). This paper provides the background of sustainable triple bottom line theory with focus on economic, environmental, and social aspects under 3PRL concerns. The relevant sustainability criteria are used in a case study conducted in cooperation with an Indian automotive remanufacturing company. To select the most preferred service provider, we use a hybrid method combining a variant of ELECTRE I accounting for the effect of reinforced preference, the revised Simos procedure, and Stochastic Multi-criteria Acceptability Analysis. The incorporated approach exploits all parameters of an outranking model compatible with the incomplete preference information of the Decision Maker. In particular, it derives the newly defined kernel acceptability and membership indices that can be interpreted as a support given to the selection of either a particular subset of alternatives or a single option. The proposed ELECTRE-based method enriches the spectrum of multiple criteria decision analysis approaches that can be used to effectively approach the problem of the 3PRLP selection. As indicated by the extensive review presented in the paper, this application field was so far dominated by Analytic Hierarchy Process and TOPSIS, whose weaknesses can be overcome by applying the outranking methods.

Help-Seeking Behaviors in Non-Offending Caregivers of Abused Children in the Philippines

ABSTRACTThe help-seeking process among non-offending caregivers (NOCs) of abused children particularly in the non-Western context has yet to be elucidated. The objective of the current study was to investigate what proportion of Filipino NOCs of abused children sought professional support services within 12 months following child abuse disclosure (T1) and at 12 months (T2) follow-up in the Philippines. Two further aims were to investigate NOCs’ preferred service providers and settings and to explore barriers to help-seeking. A comparison group of Filipino parents without an abused child were also recruited to compare preferences and potential barriers to help seeking for child and family problems. A total of 47 NOCs and 70 comparison parents/guardians completed questionnaires, which assessed help-seeking preferences and barriers as well as parental stress. The majority of NOCs reported seeking help, which was perceived to be helpful. Almost two thirds of NOCs indicated preference for in-person counseling relative to the comparison group of parents. The majority of NOCs preferred seeking help from social workers and psychologists. Almost one third of both parental samples reported being judged as an unfit parent as a key barrier to seeking help for family problems. The findings have implications for psychological and allied health service providers in facilitating the adjustment for families of recently abused children.

Employing proactive interaction for service failure prevention to improve customer service experiences

PurposeServices marketing research continues to be largely focused on firms’ reactive interactions for recovering from service failure rather than on proactive customer interactions that may prevent service failure from occurring in the first place. Building on previous studies that assess the efficacy of implementing proactive interaction in service provision contexts, the purpose of this paper is to compare the influences of proactive interaction to prevent service failure and reactive interaction to correct service failure on customer emotion and patronage behavior. Since proactive interaction for service failure prevention is a relatively underexplored and resource-intensive approach, the authors also assess the moderating influences of customer and firm-related characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThe study hypotheses are tested with survey data from two scenario-based experiments conducted in a retail setting.FindingsThe findings reveal that customers prefer service providers that take the initiative to get to them before they have to initiate contact for themselves. The findings also identify the moderating influences of relationship quality, situational involvement, and contact person status and motive.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the development of service provision theory and practice by expanding on previous studies which report that proactive efforts to prepare customers for the adverse effects of service failure are favorably received. The results also shed light on moderating factors that may further inform the exploitation of resource-intensive proactive interaction for service failure prevention. An agenda is proposed to stimulate future research on proactive customer interaction to prevent service failure in service provision contexts.

Providing Personalised Nutrition: Consumers' Trust and Preferences Regarding Sources of Information, Service Providers and Regulators, and Communication Channels

Background/Aims: Personalised nutrition has potential to revolutionise dietary health promotion if accepted by the general public. We studied trust and preferences regarding personalised nutrition services, how they influence intention to adopt these services, and cultural and social differences therein. Methods: A total of 9,381 participants were quota-sampled to be representative of each of 9 EU countries (Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, and Norway) and surveyed by a questionnaire assessing their intention to adopt personalised nutrition, trust in service regulators and information sources, and preferences for service providers and information channels. Results: Trust and preferences significantly predicted intention to adopt personalised nutrition. Higher trust in the local department of health care was associated with lower intention to adopt personalised nutrition. General practitioners were the most trusted of service regulators, except in Portugal, where consumer organisations and universities were most trusted. In all countries, family doctors were the most trusted information providers. Trust in the National Health Service as service regulator and information source showed high variability across countries. Despite its highest variability across countries, personal meeting was the preferred communication channel, except in Spain, where an automated internet service was preferred. General practitioners were the preferred service providers, except in Poland, where dietitians and nutritionists were preferred. The preference for dietitians and nutritionists as service providers highly varied across countries. Conclusion: These results may assist in informing local initiatives to encourage acceptance and adoption of country-specific tailored personalised nutrition services, therefore benefiting individual and public health.

On Buyer Selection of Service Providers in Online Outsourcing Platforms for IT Services

The Internet has presumably created a level playing field that allows any service provider across the globe to compete for contracts on online outsourcing platforms for information technology (IT) services. In this paper, we empirically examine (a) how country (language, time zone, cultural) differences and the country’s IT development affect buyers’ selection of service providers in online outsourcing platforms; and (b) how the reputation of service providers moderates the proposed effects of country differences and the country’s IT development. We integrated a unique data set formed by a sample of 11,541 software development projects from an online outsourcing platform matched with archival sources on the language, time zone, culture, and IT development of countries. Since price is typically endogenous in any supply demand system, we used the exogenous variation of the normalized exchange rate of the currency among countries, as a “cost-shifter” type instrumental variable (IV) for econometric identification. Our panel data analyses results (both with and without IV) show that buyers are negatively affected by country differences in terms of language, time zone, and culture, and prefer service providers from countries with higher IT development. Notably, the reputation of service providers attenuates the negative effects of language and cultural (but not time zone) differences, while it substitutes the positive effect of the country’s IT development. We discuss the study’s theoretical and managerial implications for understanding the global dynamics of online outsourcing platforms and better designing these platforms. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2017.0709 .

P067 Why don’t people with genito-urinary symptoms go to sexual health clinics? A mixed methods study about meanings of symptoms and care-seeking using the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3)

Background/introduction There are both individual and public health benefits in people responding to genito-urinary symptoms effectively. Sexual health clinics are best equipped for managing symptoms but not everyone with symptoms chooses to attend. Aim(s)/objectives To examine the prevalence and meanings of genito-urinary symptoms and the impact on non-attendance at sexual health clinics among people in Britain. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed methods study design was used to estimate symptom and clinic non-attendance prevalences using data from 8,947 sexually-experienced women and men aged 16–44 years who participated in Britain’s third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). We conducted follow-up semi-structured interviews with Natsal-3 participants (n = 27) who reported current or recent symptoms and had never attended a clinic, in order to explore STI perceptions, symptom meanings and care-seeking behaviour. Results Prevalence of experiencing symptom(s) in the last month was 21.6% (95% CI 20.4–22.9%) among women and 5.6% (95% CI 4.9–6.6%) among men, of whom 86.3% (95% CI 84.2–88.1) reported not having attended a sexual health clinic in the past year. Bodily changes were not always viewed as symptoms and perceived potential causes were diverse, causing strong emotional responses. Individuals normalised, concealed and/or distanced their experiences from STIs. GPs were the preferred service provider although not all participants perceived a need for care. Discussion/conclusion Symptoms are more commonly reported by women although both women and men may benefit from interventions targeting symptom normalisation and concealment. Good links between services will facilitate efficient and appropriate care-seeking and service delivery.

How context interferes with similarity-attraction between customers and service providers

According to the similarity-attraction effect, customers should prefer service providers who are perceived to be similar; yet cosmetic features such as visible tattoos are often prohibited in professional settings, suggesting that they do not provide an advantage for service providers. This research explores the extent to which contextual factors interfere with the similarity-attraction effect for any particular cosmetic feature. The findings of three experimental studies demonstrate that sharing a cosmetic feature with a customer is not enough to elicit the similarity-attraction effect; a shared cosmetic feature must also be (1) salient, (2) unique among a set of service providers, and (3) the only salient shared cosmetic feature. The implication is that the similarity-attraction effect will be over-estimated in controlled experiments that do not account for contextual information.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme: a time for real change in Australia.

In Australia, the supports and services for persons with disabilities have long been underfunded and fragmented. Often, individuals did not receive the services they needed, but rather the services they were entitled to based on how or when they acquired their disability. As a result, there was an increasing reliance on ageing carers, a lack of permanent and respite accommodation, and reduced employment and educational opportunities. Individuals with disabilities and their families were often isolated and financially disadvantaged. In March 2013, legislation was passed in Australia to establish a National Disability Insurance Scheme, a radical new way of funding disability services. No longer would funding be directed to agencies, but rather to individuals who would make their own plan and select their preferred services and service providers, giving them more control over the services and supports they receive. The hope is that this change from a welfare-driven to an insurance-based model will improve equity of service delivery, levels of participation, and overall quality of life among Australians with disabilities and their families.

Strategies to improve tuberculosis case finding in children.

Strategies to improve tuberculosis case finding in children.

HIV and syphilis testing preferences among men who have sex with men in South China: a qualitative analysis to inform sexual health services.

BackgroundHealth services for men who have sex with men (MSM) are inadequate in many areas around the world. HIV and syphilis test uptake remain suboptimal among MSM in China and many other regions. To inform the development of more comprehensive sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing programs among MSM, we collected descriptive data on MSM testing practices and preferences.MethodsMSM in two large urban Chinese cities were recruited through community-based organizations and clinics to participate in semi-structured interviews. We purposively sampled MSM across a range of sociodemographic characteristics and testing history, and assessed preferences for HIV and syphilis testing in the context of facilitators and barriers to testing and previous testing experiences. Each interview transcript was coded and thematically analyzed using Atlas.ti 7.0.Results35 MSM were interviewed. Confidentiality and privacy were the most important factors influencing participants’ decisions about whether and where to get tested. Men preferred rapid testing (results available within 30 minutes) compared to conventional tests where results take several hours or days to return. Participants described concerns about quality and accuracy of rapid tests offered in non-clinical settings such as community-based organizations. Men preferred testing service providers who were MSM-friendly, non-discriminatory, and medically trained. Preferred service center environments included: convenient but discrete location, MSM-friendly atmosphere, and clean/standard medical facilities.ConclusionOur data highlight the need for HIV/syphilis testing services that are confidential and inclusive of MSM. Rapid testing in decentralized (i.e. peripheral health facilities and community-level, non-clinical venues) settings provides an opportunity to reach individuals who have not been tested before, but must be accompanied by quality assurance systems and technical competence. Implementation research could further evaluate HIV/syphilis testing programs responsive to MSM preferences.Short SummaryA qualitative study of MSM in South China found that men preferred rapid STD testing at MSM-focused test centers, but were concerned about test quality assurance and confidentiality.