Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi (Taipei). 1993 Jun; 51(6): 448-56.

[Factors related to the choice of different hospitals providing Chinese traditional medicine]

Kang JT, Chen CF, Chou P.

Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei City Psychiatric Center.

A structured questionnaire was answered by patients who used the Outpatient Departments of two types of Chinese traditional medicine clinics: clinics associated with western-style teaching hospitals, and regular Chinese medicine clinics which were area-matched with, but not located in the teaching hospitals. The study applied the Andersen behavior model and discussed the factors related to the choice of one type or the other clinic by one-method-treatment (i.e. traditional only, not mixed with western, medicine) patients. The total number of valid questionnaires was 362. Under the analysis of logistic regression, the variables which were significantly related to the choice of the types of the hospitals were age, insurance status, first visit or follow-up, general health condition, severity of illness, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. The older the patients, the more likely they were to visit teaching hospitals. First-visit or uninsured patients also favored teaching hospitals. Patients with perceived stable conditions or more serious illness were likely to use teaching hospitals. Patients with musculoskeletal or neurological disorders favored regular clinics.