Analysis of the responsiveness of patients in Shanghai / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

A typical investigation on third-tier general hospitals, third-tier specialty hospitals, second-tier district or county central hospitals, urban community hospitals, and rural township health centers in Shanghai was conducted so as to examine the responsiveness of outpatients and inpatients to the health system. Most of the patients surveyed said that they could get prompt attention and that they had convenient access to medical information from the community or the mass media. More than half of the inpatients and outpatients thought that they had autonomy with regard to treatment and a greater number of patients made their own choices of doctors and nurses. Most of the patients were willing to talk freely with their doctors about their confidential medical history and could get rational explanations about their conditions from the doctors. The results indicate that reform of the health system in Shanghai has attached importance to the responsiveness of patients and that good effects have been achieved.