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Article: Acute care service utilisation and the possible impacts of a user-fee policy in Hong Kong

TitleAcute care service utilisation and the possible impacts of a user-fee policy in Hong Kong
香港急症服務的使用及急症室收費政策的影響
Authors
Issue Date2002
PublisherHong Kong Medical Association. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hkmj.org.hk
Citation
Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2002, v. 8 n. 5, p. 348-358 How to Cite?
AbstractOBJECTIVES: To examine the utilisation pattern of accident and emergency services and to study the possible impact of a user-fee policy on non-emergency attendances in Hong Kong. DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: Four different scenarios are postulated to examine the impact on the number of accident and emergency attendances of a user-fee policy from 2000 to 2029. Patient volume data of accident and emergency attendances for 2000 were made available by the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong. RESULTS: Non-emergency use of the accident and emergency services is the main cause of over-utilisation and contributes to more than 70.0% of its use. Only 22.0% of patients attending accident and emergency departments were admitted to a ward for further treatment. By 2029, the number of accident and emergency attendances would increase by more than 47.0% if the present utilisation pattern prevails. However, if patients at triage levels 3, 4, and 5 were discouraged from using the accident and emergency services, the number of attendances would decrease by 76.4%. CONCLUSION: The proposed user-fee policy would act as a deterrent by preventing unnecessary use of accident and emergency services. However, the use of out-patient services may be increased as a result and attendance should be carefully monitored. Community health education and civic education relating to abuse of accident and emergency services would be effective in reducing over-utilisation of these services.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/45497
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 3.1
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.261

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorLaw, CKen_HK
dc.contributor.authorYip, PSFen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2007-10-30T06:27:27Z-
dc.date.available2007-10-30T06:27:27Z-
dc.date.issued2002en_HK
dc.identifier.citationHong Kong Medical Journal, 2002, v. 8 n. 5, p. 348-358en_HK
dc.identifier.issn1024-2708en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/45497-
dc.description.abstractOBJECTIVES: To examine the utilisation pattern of accident and emergency services and to study the possible impact of a user-fee policy on non-emergency attendances in Hong Kong. DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: Four different scenarios are postulated to examine the impact on the number of accident and emergency attendances of a user-fee policy from 2000 to 2029. Patient volume data of accident and emergency attendances for 2000 were made available by the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong. RESULTS: Non-emergency use of the accident and emergency services is the main cause of over-utilisation and contributes to more than 70.0% of its use. Only 22.0% of patients attending accident and emergency departments were admitted to a ward for further treatment. By 2029, the number of accident and emergency attendances would increase by more than 47.0% if the present utilisation pattern prevails. However, if patients at triage levels 3, 4, and 5 were discouraged from using the accident and emergency services, the number of attendances would decrease by 76.4%. CONCLUSION: The proposed user-fee policy would act as a deterrent by preventing unnecessary use of accident and emergency services. However, the use of out-patient services may be increased as a result and attendance should be carefully monitored. Community health education and civic education relating to abuse of accident and emergency services would be effective in reducing over-utilisation of these services.en_HK
dc.format.extent305211 bytes-
dc.format.extent3382 bytes-
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf-
dc.format.mimetypetext/plain-
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherHong Kong Medical Association. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.hkmj.org.hken_HK
dc.rightsHong Kong Medical Journal. Copyright © Hong Kong Medical Association.-
dc.subject.meshEmergency Service, Hospital - economics - utilizationen_HK
dc.subject.meshFee-for-Service Plans - economicsen_HK
dc.subject.meshRetrospective Studiesen_HK
dc.subject.meshAge Distributionen_HK
dc.subject.meshTriageen_HK
dc.titleAcute care service utilisation and the possible impacts of a user-fee policy in Hong Kongen_HK
dc.title香港急症服務的使用及急症室收費政策的影響zh_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=1024-2708&volume=8&issue=5&spage=348&epage=358&date=2002&atitle=Acute+care+service+utilisation+and+the+possible+impacts+of+a+user-fee+policy+in+Hong+Kongen_HK
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_versionen_HK
dc.identifier.pmid12376712-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-0036782042-
dc.identifier.hkuros82229-
dc.identifier.hkuros124463-
dc.publisher.placeHong Kong-
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLaw, CK=7201607366-
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridYip, PS=7102503720-
dc.identifier.issnl1024-2708-

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