location: nan, 'Thailand 
year: 1998 source: HSRI 
title: Survey of risk behavior, risk situation, health information, health information perception: second issue utilization of health care system 
abstract:Survey of risk behavior, risk environment, health information, health information perception: second issue, utilization of health care systemThe purposes of this survey are to illustrate experience of people who have used health care service provided by government compared with private ones and to find out expectation from government hospital development. 2156 people from all parts of Thailand are our population. Cluster and area sampling is used.  A seven part questionnaire has been used and data is collected  through individual interview. The data then was analysed by QPS, and persented by frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Information from open end questionnaire is also  analysed. 1.Type of Service Used. Most of the population make use of health services provides by provincial/district public  hospitals. Medical clinics are their second choice and  traditional this medicine in the least used. Medical annual expense is mostky between 501-1,000 baht. By average they spend about 5,413 annually for medical treatment. For health care  which included medical care is between 501-1,000 baht. By average the health care (medical care included) expense is 6,215 baht per year. For minor illness, they buy medicine from  drugstores. Medical clinics are their second choice. If they make use of public hospital when they encounter minor illness of health problem, their reasons are low price and closeness to their residences. The most frequent diseases are those gastro intestinal disease and respiratory diseases.  They find it is difficult to go to private hospital of clinic in case of severe or surgery cases because of high  price and uncertainty about type of hospitals. Female  population also spend more on medical care and health care  (medical care included) than male. Highest spend for medical  treatment per year in Bangkok population is 7,940 baht and the  population in the North spend the least which is 3,799 baht. The highest spend for Bangkok population for health care (medical care included)is 8,758 and the lowest is in the North  which is 4,365. 2.Opinion Toward Medical Service. At present  public medical centers provide good service except period of  service and time consuming. Doctors' capability is ranked first  and their skill in treatment and prescription ranked second. Female population are slightly more satisfied with health care system than male. The population in the North expressed the highest opinion. Health care system provided by private  hospitals is found to be satisfactory except in the area of doctor fee and medical fee. It is found that welcoming as well as service ranked first and speed ranked second in private haspitals. When compared between government and private hospitals, it is found that there are some slight differences such as doctor's ability is ranked first in government while private ones ranked 6. For services, private ones ranked 1 and government ones ranked  6. Any how it is concluded that service of private hospitals is better than government ones. 3.Expectation. Our population want the government hospitals to provide more high technological equipments.Ranked second is welcoming and services of staff as well as to speed up their services. Those expected from private  hospitals are medical fee (medicine charge, meal charge and room charge). Ranked second is to be less business like. Health services provided by private hospitals is their priority because of good service, attentiveness and up to date equipments. Government hospitals are their second choice because of low price, good service and close to their home. They said that capacity in public hospitals is equal to private ones. They indicated that obstacles are government budgeting and hospital staff. They suggested that public hospitals should improve their service. They should be more cordial and be more responsible so that our public hospitals will be more advanced and be able to provide  satisfactoried service.