Patterns of Ambulatory Care Utilization in Taiwan
Author Information
Author(s): Chen Tzeng-Ji, Chou Li-Fang, Hwang Shinn-Jang
Primary Institution: Taipei Veterans General Hospital
Hypothesis
The study aims to describe the person-based patterns of ambulatory care visits within Taiwan's National Health Insurance program in 2002.
Conclusion
Taiwanese people frequently visit physicians and outpatient departments, often switching between different physicians and facilities.
Supporting Evidence
- 87.4% of the cohort visited physician clinics in 2002.
- On average, a person had 13.4 physician consultations in a year.
- 80.8% of the cohort visited two or more healthcare facilities during the year.
Takeaway
In Taiwan, many people go to the doctor a lot and often change doctors or clinics, which can be confusing.
Methodology
The study analyzed insurance claims data from a cohort of 200,000 people to quantify ambulatory care visits.
Potential Biases
The absence of a coordinated referral system may lead to biased interpretations of patient behavior.
Limitations
The study could not analyze the influence of location on care utilization, and lacked data on patient complaints and referral sources.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included 182,474 individuals, with a mean age of 34.7 years, comprising 90,447 women and 92,022 men.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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