Table 4 Types of informal payments reported (31 publications reviewed)¹

Who initiates the informal payment?

Patients (expression of gratitude)

11,15,17,20,21,22,23,24,25

Provider (demanded by a provider)

3,11,17,20,21,22,23,24,25

What is the nature of informal payment?

Payments in cash

1,2,3,5,10,11,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,23,24,25,27,29,30,31

Payments in kind (gifts)

1,2,3,5,10,11,15,16,17,18,20,21,23,24,25,27,29,31

Payments in a form of services

17,20,24,31

What is the moment of informal payment?

Before/during treatment (mostly in cash)

2,10,17,20,23

After treatment (mostly gifts)

2,20,23

Who receives the informal payment?

General practitioner

2,5,11,12,17,21,23,24,27,30

Medical specialist

2,3,6,12,21,24

e.g. Surgeons

1,10,11,19,20,21,23

e.g. Dentists

21,24,29,30

e.g. Obstetrics-gynaecologist

11,19,20,23

Other medical staff

3,11,30

e.g. Nurses

3,6,17,21,25,30

e.g. Emergency staff

24

Health care institution (Incl. quasi-official payments when the patient receives a kind of receipt)

10,25,29

What is the purpose of the informal payment?

Expression-of-gratitude

1,2,8,13,17,20,21,22,24,25

Fee-for-service

13,20,21,22,23,27

Fee-for-commodity

17,21,23,27

Fee-for-access

8,13,17,27

Fee-for-quick-access

2,3,13,17,23,24

Fee-for-better-quality

1,2,10,13,17,20,21,22,23,24

Fee-for-psychological-comfort

3,13,20,28

What is the amount of informal payment? (% of monthly income)

Less than 30%

2,20,30

More than 80%

17,30

How is the informal payment perceived?

Tradition/gratitude

3,17,20,23

Illegal behaviour

22

Corruption

2,20,22

What is the attitude of the respondent toward the informal payment?

Negative (requested)

7,10,19,20,21,23

Positive (gratuity)

7,19,20,21,23