Patient voices: experiences of healthcare access in Asia is an Economist Impact report, commissioned by Prudential plc, examining how people across Asia experience accessing healthcare. Malaysia is part of this regional study, with a dedicated report that takes a closer look at local experiences.

The Malaysian report is called Patient voices Malaysia: making healthcare clearer and more connected. Malaysia has a dual‑track healthcare system, with a public sector that provides broad access and a private sector operating mainly in urban areas. While this model supports wide coverage, patients can still face uncertainty, delays and uneven support when trying to access care.

About the Malaysia report

Patient voices Malaysia: making healthcare clearer and more connected is a report that examines how people in Malaysia experience accessing healthcare.

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Study Finds 94 Per Cent of Malaysians Delay Seeking Medical Care Due to a Lack of Support

Before care starts:

People want a sense of support, confidence and peace of mind when seeking medical care, with 37% seeking minimal disruptions to routines.

When Malaysians feel these expectations may not be met, around 94% of have delayed seeking care.

Because it disrupts daily life, such as family obligations or work responsibilities.

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Finding healthcare can be a hassle

Understanding how Malaysians make healthcare decisions, and the challenges they face along the way, helps explain why accessing care can feel difficult. Explore these experiences in more detail by downloading the full report.

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54% of patients say they do not know where to go when they are unwell, pointing to a lack of a clear first step into a healthcare system.

 

When it's unclear where to start, patients may feel they lack guidance and confidence at the moment they need help.

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More than half (52%) of the respondents say they face long waits for appointments, even after identifying a healthcare provider.

 

Finding care does not always bring reassurance, as delays can prolong uncertainty instead of easing it.

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50% feel they lack the right information         to make informed healthcare decisions, affecting confidence when choosing care or treatment.

 

When information is unclear, important health decisions can feel overwhelming rather than confidence-building.

What are their challenges

The top five challenges Malaysians face when seeking healthcare

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How do they pay for healthcare?

Nearly six in ten respondents rely on informal ways such as family support, loans or borrowed money.

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What can be done to make life better for patients?

Improving primary care, raising awareness of long-term and indirect costs and improving digital health literacy of available platforms to access health is essential to meet the rising expectations of the country’s ageing population.

Click here visit Prudential plc’s Patient voices: experiences of healthcare access in Asia report.