A Survey And Countermeasure On Health Service Needs And Utilization In The Northwest Frontier Forces Unit

BackgroundPrimary care institutes need to improve their ability in providing basic medical services, especially for township health centers in western China. The deficiency of basic medical equipments and drugs, and the deficiency in the quantity and competency of primary care providers are the major barriers for primary care institutes to provide basic medical services. Health services need and utilization of military members was more than that of national citizens. More attention should be paid on the prevention of common diseases as well as health education. The health management institutions should enforce investment on health resources of the military at the basic level to meet the primary requirement of the military members.ObjectiveTo study the basic condition and character of the soldiers’ Health and health service demand and utilization at the basic level of Northwest frontier forces.MethodsMultistage stratified cluster random sampling was conducted and a total of 578 mi litary members in the gannan regions of China were sampled. Survey data were analyzed by SPSS 11. 0 software package.ResultsThe two week preva lence rate and six month chronic disease prevalencerate in the army of gannan unit was 32.08% and 20.07% respectively.The clinic visit was mainly in group hospita,l united hospita l and local hospital. Promotion of clinical pathway in the grass-roots units, we improve the officers and soldiers to health institutions of trust, improve the level of medical service support.ConclusionData showed that there is a new tendency about medical need rule and health care utilization of the gannan forces. Meanwhile, we also find that the forces may be exist occupational risk factors, which need further research.