TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1990
OF PATIENTS ATTENDING THE THE STUDIES CONSISTED OF A SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S GENERAL OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENT (GOPD), A SURVEY
CHILD HEALTH OF MATERNAL AND COVERING THE GENERAL POPULATION.
CARE
A
TELEPHONE
SURVEY
AND (MCH)
AMONG IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONDUCTED A SURVEY
AND FAMILY DEPARTMENT ITS
OUT-PATIENT GENERAL DOCTORS WORKING IN HEALTH SERVICE.
TELEPHONE ENQUIRY COVERING 1,496 FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION
PROBLEMS RESPONDENTS, ONE IN SIX RESPONDENTS HAD EXPERIENCED HEALTH
IN THE PREVIOUS AND HAD SOUGHT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE THESE, 65 PER CENT OF THEM SOUGHT CARE FROM THE PRIVATE 15 PER CENT WERE SEEN AT GOPD'S.
TWO WEEKS. OF SECTOR WHILE
PROVIDER OF
WHO
IN CONTRAST TO OUT-PATIENT CONSULTATION, THE MAIN HOSPITAL SERVICE WAS THE PUBLIC SECTOR. OF BEEN HOSPITALISED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, INTO GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS, FOLLOWED BY HOSPITALS AND 23 PER CENT INTO PRIVATE HOSPITALS.
THE RESPONDENTS
HAD 45 PER CENT WERE ADMITTED 32 PER CENT INTO SUBVENTED
A
LARGE
REPRESENTATIVE
SAMPLE THAT
OF GOPD PATIENTS AND LESS
IN THE GOPD STUDY, ATTENDERS (1,214) WAS INTERVIEWED. THE FINDINGS SHOWED WHO ATTENDED THESE CLINICS WERE ON AVERAGE OLDER AND POORER WELL EDUCATED THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.
CARE BY CENT OF
USED SOURCE OF MEDICAL GOPD WAS ALSO A FREQUENTLY PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASE. THE SURVEY FOUND THAT 7.2 PER ALL PATIENTS HAD DIABETES AND 24 PER CENT HAD HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
USEFUL IN IDENTIFYING SEVERAL THE GOPD STUDY WAS CONSIDERED AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CLINICS AND PATIENTS. THESE
THE SYSTEM INCLUDE
FOR MAKING APPOINTMENTS, IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD
AND
THE
COMMUNICATION, THE IN WHICH WAY
WAITING TIMES, CONSULTATION TIMES, DOCTOR-PATIENT
MEDICAL RECORDS AVAILABILITY
AND USE OF
MEDICINES ARE PRESCRIBED.
THE SURVEY ALSO INDICATED THE WITH CHRONIC
NEED DISEASE
FOR
THE DIABETES AND
IN
IMPROVEMENTS
AS SUCH MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SO AS TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF CARE.
WAYS
THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT PATIENTS WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO NEW
FOR
A GOPD CLINICS.
EXAMPLE,
LARGE OF DELIVERING MEDICAL CARE IN
THE CONCEPTS OF GIVING PROPORTION OF THOSE INTERVIEWED SUPPORTED
AND THE USE OF SPECIALLY PATIENTS A COPY OF THEIR MEDICAL RECORDS
FOR THE ROUTINE REVIEW AND PRACTITIONERS) TRAINED NURSES (NURSE ASSESSMENT OF CONTINUING TREATMENT.
"IT IS A GENERALLY HELD VIEW, PROBABLY REINFORCED BY
CLINICS ARE
QUEUES, THAT THE GENERAL OUT-PATIENT THEREFORE HAVE LITTLE OR NO SCOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT.
THE LONG OVER-BURDENED AND
/"I AM