Comparative study on the utilization of outpatient health services for urban and rural residents In Guangdong Province

Abstract

Objective To investigate the conditional difference in outpatients between urban and rural residents in Guangdong Province. Methods Multi-stage cluster random sampling method was used to monitor the data of the residents' health service utilization in Yingde and at Liwan District, Guangzhou. The household demographic characteristics and outpatient utilization were investigated by household survey. And χ2 test and t test were used to analyze and compare the demographic characteristics and outpatient use of the residents in these two places. Results The numbers of outpatients visited by the urban and rural residents within one month were 68.8% and 75.3%, respectively. In the selection of outpatient clinics, the urban residents mainly chose to visit the hospital or community health service center, accounting for 63.5%. The main choice of township residents was the village clinic or community health service station, accounting for 48.2%. The main reason for choosing outpatient institutions of the urban and rural residents both mainly took account for the convenience of transportation, accounting for 30.5% and 41.9%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). The average actual payment of urban residents' outpatients was 65.86 yuan, which was lower than that of the township residents (131.02 yuan), with a statistical difference (P<0.05). Conclusions There are definite differences in the time, cost and actual payment of the visits between urban and rural residents. Effective policies and measures should be taken to reduce the gap. Key words: Residents; Outpatient; Medical insurance