Change of patients' health service seeking patterns by community health service institutions / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore effective ways for community health service institutions to change patients' health service seeking patterns. Methods Yuetan Community Health Service Center of Fuxing Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University and 9 community health service stations under its subordination in the 1996～2002 period were selected as a representative of the community health service institutions to be studied and intervened while the headquarters of Fuxing Hospital in the same period was selected as a representative of the third-tier hospitals to be studied. A comparison was made between the two in outpatient volume change. Questionnaires were distributed randomly to residents of the Yuetan area where Fuxing Hospital is located in order to study their health service seeking behaviors each year from 1996 to 2002. Results As a result of hard work in the 6 years, Yuetan Community Health Service Center saw a steady increase in outpatient volume whereas the headquarters of Fuxing Hospital witnessed a steady decrease in outpatient volume. Survey via questionnaires sent randomly to permanent residents of the Yuetan area indicated a change in residents' health service seeking patterns. Conclusion It is effective and viable for community health service institutions to change patients' health service seeking patterns through providing social-psychological-biological community medical services, enhancing health education and setting up a two-way referral system with third-tier hospitals.