Study on Hospital Staff's Recognition toward Opening of Medical Services Market

병원직원의 의료시장개방에 대한 인식조사

This study aims to deal with hospital staff's recognition on the opening of the medical services market, their attitude to the opening - agreement and disagreement, and their intention to use a foreign hospital or to consult its doctors again. It was conducted for 450 employees of one university hospital located in Gyeonggi Province, Korea with systemized questionnaires. The main results of this study are as follows: First, Medical technicians showed the highest level recognition on the opening of the medical services market. Second, The percentage of agreement to the opening was the highest for medical technicians and lowest for doctors while that of agreement was the highest for doctors and lowest for nurses. For residents, among doctors, the percentage of disagreement was the lower than that of agreement. Third, the intention to use a foreign hospital and to consult its doctor again was the lowest for medical engineers and the highest for doctors. Fourth, The most urgent task for local hospitals to accomplish in response to the opening was the improvement of the diagnosis and treatment technologies for nurses, and the improvement of the service provided by the hospital staff for the others. For doctors, in particular, the improvement of the diagnosis and treatment technologies was just the fourth urgent task. In conclusion, the result varies to the type of occupation. Apparent difference was found for doctors, in particular, that seem to be directly affected by the opening of medical services market. Local hospitals and doctors, therefore, should make efforts together to improve the diagnosis and treatment technologies. All the hospital employees of every type of occupation, meanwhile, need to prepare for the opening with medical service of improved quality.