XN000022-1990-05-08 — Page 5

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