Study on the needs, demands, and utilization of medical and health services of residents in Shenzhen / 公共卫生与预防医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the needs, demands and utilization levels of health services for residents in Shenzhen, and to provide a basis for the rational allocation of health resources and formulation of relevant policies. Methods Using stratified random sampling, 6 072 residents from 2 365 households in 7 districts of Shenzhen were selected. The residents’ health status, health service demand and utilization were investigated by a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey response rate was 98.5%, and there was no significant difference between the sample and the population in age distribution (χ2=5.60，P=0.47). Results The average score of self-health assessment was 84.9. The prevalence rate of chronic diseases was 21.1%. The two-week disease prevalence rate was 21.5%, and the doctor visit rate of the two-week disease was 19.5%. The hospitalization rate was 7.2% in the past year. The average outpatient cost was 500 yuan, and the average cost of hospitalization was 10 567 yuan. The average length of hospital stay was 7.3 days. A total of 652 (55%) patients had their first outpatient visit at the community health service centers, and 82.2% of the families were within 1 kilometer from the nearest medical institutions. Conclusion Compared with that of the national population, the overall health service needs of Shenzhen residents were relatively low, but there is a problem that the hospitalization demand has not been effectively released. The prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension should not be ignored, and the construction of the public health system needs to be strengthened. The "health gatekeeper" system has initially taken shape, but the residents' sense of acquisition needs to be further improved.