This study was performed to investigate the pattern of medical care utilization and morbidity state of industrial workers in Taegu area. A questionnaire survey was carried out for 1.258 workers of 46 various types of local companies, mainly textile, in Taegu´ area from Aug. 1, 1991 to Oct. 31. 1991.
The respondents consisted of 1.017(80.8%) blue-collar workers and 241(19.2%) white-collar workers. 700(55.6%) male, 558(44.4%) female.
When workers were ill, 58.9% of them chose a particular medical facility for the reasons of convenient transport and geographical accessibility. To the contrary, in the case of choosing oriental medical clinics, perceived effectiveness of treatment (36.4%) was cited as the most important reason for visits. During one-year period, the number of workers who experienced hospitalization was 60 and chronic morbidity rate was 134 per 1,000 workers.
Chronic illness consisted of respiratory disease (25.3%), gastrointestinal disease (24%) and musculoskeletal disease (18.7%). The most preferred medical facilities for chronic patients were hospitals (32.9%), followed by pharmacies (32.2%). The average losses of workdays per chronic morbidity were 18.6 days.
Acute morbidity during 15 days was 558 per 1000 workers on the average. 1.55 cases of morbidity occurred per patient, and each morbidity case lasted for 4.13 days. 87.3% of the patients got medical treatments, and 3.66 days of medical care and 36.028 won medical carve cost were required per treatment. The number of absent days per morbidity was 0.55 day and activity-restricted hour was 6.51 hrs.
The most common illness experienced during 15 days was 39.8% of respiratory disease followed by 25.8% of sign symptom & ill-defined conditions and 19.5% of gastrointestinal disease.
The most number of patients actually visited pharmacies (63.1%). followed by hospitals & clinics (16.9%). As many as 12.6% of patients didn’t t even pursue any medical treatments at all.
For the reasons of seeking no treatment, patients cited unseriousness or mild illness (44.0%), busy or no free time (20.0%). doubtful of treatment effectiveness (16.0%) and hate to be bother (14.0%).
Concluding from above results, medical care utilization of pharmacies and morbidity´, rate of
industrial workers turned out quite higher than those of other occupations or general population.
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