Abstract
Objective : This study aimed to compare the patients' satisfactions with local Korean Medicine(KM) clinics and networked KM clinics, and to find out which factors had an effect on it. Method : Six local KM clinics and six networked KM clinics were selected, and patients' questionnaires on the satisfaction with KM clinic use were administered using exit poll method. The questionnaires were developed to measure satisfactions with facility, doctor and staffs, and services. 240 patients completed the questionnaires, and the data were statistically analyzed. Results : There was more diversity in patients' diseases among networked KM clinics users, however, treatments provided were not differentiated clinically between two types of KM clinics. Patients' satisfaction scores for local KM clinics were significantly higher than those for networked KM clinics in the aspects of doctors/staffs (9.35 vs 8.92, p<.01) and services (8.76 vs 8.42, p<.05). 90.0% of local KM clinic users expressed their willingness to recommend the clinics they used to others, while 75.0% of networked KM clinics users did. For both the local and networked clinics, 'KM doctors' kindness', and 'process and waiting time' were statistical factors affecting patients' satisfaction. Conclusion : The patients' satisfactions with general KM clinics were higher than those with networked KM clinics. Networked KM clinics need to develop services to meet the diverse medical demands which were created by them selves.
