Development of the Referral System of Patient in Small-sized Industries

This study was designed to develop the referral system of patient in small-sized industries and the medical delivery system in occupational health field.

We sampled randomly 5 workers per each company in 57 companies and investigated the healthcare utilization behavior, the need for referral system. The survey was done from April 1. 1998 to May 30. 1998 and the respondents were 213. On the basis of the results, we planned model for the referral system between Korean Industrial Health Association(KIHA) and Ewha Medical Center(EMC).

The complaints of the utilization of medical service are cumbersome process of registration and reservation, and discord between hours of duty and consultation. The referral system is needed in 76.7% of total respondents. 85.6% of workers want the night clinic, and 91.3% want to be included their family in this referral system.

We developed the referral system linking KIHA, EMC, and department of preventive medicine of Ewha Woman's University, which based on the result of survey. The service reflect the worker's the healthcare utilization behavior and need for referral system. The number of workers who referred by this system between Feb. 1998 and Jan. 1999 was 30, and replied by EMC after treating was 12. The number of referred patient is very law(30 spells), but the satisfaction of medical service is relatively high.

To promote the referral system, it is needed to propaganda the service of referral system to workers and managers of each company, to improve of quality of services of the hospital, and to establish the official referral system between department of preventive medicine of Ewha woman's university and each clinical department of Ewha Medical Center.