The factors influencing on parents' choosing usual medical provider in elementary school students

Yang, Jung Seog; Choi, Sung; Choi, Gang Young; Shin, Keun Woo; Lee, Ka Young; Park, Tae Jin

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Much time and cost have been consumed for just a treatment of a simple disease and inappropriate management has taken place because of misjudgement by laymen. To establish a desirable health care system, need for the usual-medical-provider system (U.MP. system) has been suggested. This study was performed to find some data that would be helpful to establish the U.MP. system by surveying some factors influencing on choosing care providers of children.
METHODS
440 questionnaires were gathered from surveys administered to the parents of the students in a primary school. The period for study was 1 week of September in 1999 and the response rate was 88.0%. The questionnaire was composed of sociodemographic variables, a question for having U.MP. and some factors related with choosing U.MP.
RESULTS
The fourth and fifth decade of age showed higher proportion for having U.MP. than sixth decade. The proportion of having U.MP. was also higher in respondents with higher educational attainment and higher income. The proportion of visiting local clinics or hospitals was about 65.7% in groups having U.MP., whereas the proportion was about 41.5% in group not having U.MP., The frequency of visiting local clinics or hospitals for a year was higher for groups having U.MP., compared with groups not having U.MP.. The factors related with choosing U.MP. were `doctors who explain the disease in detail and easily', `doctors who provide care meticulously', and `effective treatment'.
CONCLUSION
To establish the U.MP. system, a kinder attitude and care would be necessary for doctors who will provide care to the patients and their family.