The impact of group practice centers on the medicalization of health stations: a historical investigation

• Main Authors: Chih-Bin Tsai, 蔡志斌
• Other Authors: Meei-Shia Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/79536995224961678024

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 公共衛生研究所 === 95 === The government established health stations on the basis of the health prevention after coming to Taiwan. Health stations initiate many public health plans, such as family plan, malaria prevention plan and trachoma prevention. These plans have tremendous contributions on preventing acute contagious diseases. In 1983, the government began to set up group practice centers in health stations. By utilizing the original equipment, manpower from health station and with the subsidiary of 1.5 million dollars for medical equipment in each health station from National Health Administration, the government reforms the medical clinic in health station. It also cooperated with hospital, and hospital sent doctors to support the medical appointment of group practice centers in health stations. This strengthened the medical function in health stations. This research is based on the medicalization theory. It discussed whether the establishment of group practice centers created the medicalization of health centers. It analyzed the differences, for instance the changes of manpower, budget and allocation of time management in health center, before and after the establishment of group practice centers in health stations. The research methods were based on the oral history from staffs in health stations. The in-depth interviews were engaged with staffs of health station in southern Taiwan, which equipped with group practice centers. In order to conduct the analysis with multi-dimension, this research also collected documents and news related to health stations or group practice centers as well as the budget plan of health stations. The research found out that after health stations set up group practice centers, the total proportion of medical resources, such as manpower disposing, medical funds and equipments, is higher than before. The tendency expanded continually. However, the manpower or funds of prevention work did not change. This result proved that the establishment of group practice centers brought the medicalization in health stations.