Urban development and physician spatial distribution:the case of Kaohsiung City

• Main Authors: Liu, Shu-Chen, 劉淑珍
• Other Authors: Tung-Liang,Chiang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1998
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/14128651396872578813

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 公共衛生學研究所 === 86 === Urban development and Physician spatial distribution：the case of Kaohsiung Ci tyTaking Kaohsiung City for an example, the study aimsto explore the changing relationship of urban development and physician spatial distribution in a smal l area.Data on population and socio-economic development came from government publications including the Stastical Yearbook of Kaohsiung Municipality, the T aiwan-Fukien Demographic Fact Book, and the Taiw an-Fukien Business Survey Report. Data on physician manpower and hospitals we re from the Center for Health Policy Research, Graduate Institution of Pubc He alth onal Taiwan University. The main findings of this study are as follows: 1.Between 1980 and 1996, the total number of phy sicians in Kaohsiung City in creased from 1,136 to 2,333, representing an aver age annual growth rateof 4. 6%。 2.Only 3 out of 11 districts in Kaohsiung City: Chienchin, Yenchen,and Hs inhsing,had more than 15 physicians per 10,000 persons in 1980, by 1996, anoth er 3 districts: Tsoying,Sanmin, and Linya, was joining in. 3.The r esults of cross-sectional multiple regression analyses shows: The number of p hysicians in a district was significantly associated with population size, soc io-economic variables, and the number of hospital beds, while the ratio of phy sician to population was only associated with socio-economic variables. 4.A fu rther analysis indicates: The number of offic e-based physicians per 10,000 pe rsons was positively associated with socio-conomic variables but negatively as sociated with the number of hospital beds,while the number of hospital-based p hysicians per 10,000 persons was positively associated with both socio-economi c variables and the number of hospital beds. 5.Findings from simple correlatio n analysis suggest: The growth rate of population size in a district was nega tively related the total number of. phy sicians in Kaohsiung City ino the gro wth rate of the number of office-based physicians per 10,000 persons,but had n othing to do with the growth rate of the number of hospital-based physicians per 10,000 persons. Based on the above findings, this study further discuss ed the implications for physician manpower policy and for the directions of fu ture research.