Patients' experience of Chinese Medicine Primary Care Services: Implications on Improving Coordination and Continuity of Care.
Vincent Ch Chung, Benjamin Hk Yip, Sian M Griffiths, Ellen Lm Yu, Siya Liu, Robin St Ho, Xinyin Wu, Albert Wn Leung, Regina Ws Sit, Justin Cy Wu, Samuel Ys Wong
Author Information
Vincent Ch Chung: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Benjamin Hk Yip: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Sian M Griffiths: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Ellen Lm Yu: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Siya Liu: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Robin St Ho: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Xinyin Wu: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Albert Wn Leung: School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Regina Ws Sit: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Justin Cy Wu: Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Samuel Ys Wong: JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Chinese medicine (CM) is major form of traditional and complementary medicine used by Chinese populations. Evaluation on patients' experience on CM service is essential for improving service quality. This cross sectional study aims (i) to assess how CM clinics with different administrative model differ in terms of quality from patients' perspective; and (ii) to investigate how quality varies with patients' demographic and health characteristics. Five hundred and sixteen patients were sampled from charity and semi-public CM clinics in Hong Kong, and were invited to assess their experience using the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT). Results indicated that overall mean PCAT scoring is satisfactory, achieving 70.7% (91.26/129) of total score. Ratings were lower in areas of "coordination of patient information", "continuity of care", and "range of service provided". Impact of administrative models, including involvement of tax-funded healthcare system and outreach delivery, were minimal after adjusting for patient characteristics. Demographic and health characteristics of patients did not contribute to substantial variations in scoring. To improve patient experience, policy makers should consider strengthening care coordination, continuity and comprehensiveness in CM primary care services. Sharing of electronic records and establishing referral system are potential solutions for linking CM and conventional healthcare services.
References
J Gen Intern Med. 2006 Mar;21(3):267-75
[PMID: 16336622]
