IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v61y2005i3p577-590.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The ecology of health care in Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Leung, Gabriel M.
  • O.L. Wong, Irene
  • Chan, Wai-Sum
  • Choi, Sarah
  • Lo, Su-Vui

Abstract

To better understand the distribution of resources and health care consumption patterns in different geo-ethnic and socio-economic settings, we sought to describe the patterns of illness, care-seeking behavior and health services utilization in Hong Kong compared to the US and UK. Data were derived from the 2002 Hong Kong Thematic Household Survey covering 31,762 non-institutional and institutional residents, representing 6,504,255 persons after applying population weights. Of 1000 individuals during a 1-month period, 567 reported symptoms, 512 of whom considered seeking health care. Four hundred and forty persons visited western allopathic medical practitioners, with 372 (84.5%) in primary care and 68 (15.5%) in specialty care. There were 54 visits to traditional Chinese medical practitioners and 16 emergency room episodes. Seven individuals were hospitalized in community hospitals and on average one in 1000 were admitted to a tertiary medical center. Ninety out of the 567 who experienced symptoms undertook self-management strategies, which included over-the-counter western allopathic medications (n=54) or traditional Chinese remedies (n=14) or both (n=2), dietary modification (n=1) and rest (n=15). We have mapped the ecology of health care in Hong Kong. Monthly prevalence estimates were remarkably similar to US figures for hospital-based events, whereas there was evidence of apparent, substantial "over-consumption" of ambulatory, community-based care. Our results also indicate that the local community's care-seeking orientation still very much favors western allopathic medicine over traditional Chinese therapy, at least for acute illness episodes.

Suggested Citation

  • Leung, Gabriel M. & O.L. Wong, Irene & Chan, Wai-Sum & Choi, Sarah & Lo, Su-Vui, 2005. "The ecology of health care in Hong Kong," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 577-590, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:61:y:2005:i:3:p:577-590
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277-9536(05)00014-6
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Burke, A. & Wong, Y.-Y. & Clayson, Z., 2003. "Traditional Medicine in China Today: Implications for Indigenous Health Systems in a Modern World," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(7), pages 1082-1084.
    2. Hsiao, William C., 1995. "Abnormal economics in the health sector," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1-3), pages 125-139.
    3. Rosen, Bruce, 1989. "Professional reimbursement and professional behavior: Emerging issues and research challenges," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 455-462, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yam, Ho-Kwan & Mercer, Stewart W. & Wong, Lai-Yi & Chan, Wan-Kin & Yeoh, Eng-Kiong, 2009. "Public and private healthcare services utilization by non-institutional elderly in Hong Kong: Is the inverse care law operating?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(3), pages 229-238, August.
    2. Lu, Tsung-Hsueh & Chou, Yiing-Jenq & Liou, Chien-Shian, 2007. "Impact of SARS on healthcare utilization by disease categories: Implications for delivery of healthcare services," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(2-3), pages 375-381, October.
    3. Leung, Gabriel M. & Tin, Keith Y.K. & Chan, Wai-Sum, 2007. "Hong Kong's health spending projections through 2033," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 93-101, April.
    4. Lu, Jui-fen R. & Leung, Gabriel M. & Kwon, Soonman & Tin, Keith Y.K. & Van Doorslaer, Eddy & O'Donnell, Owen, 2007. "Horizontal equity in health care utilization evidence from three high-income Asian economies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 199-212, January.
    5. Chung, Vincent C.H. & Hillier, Sheila & Lau, Chun Hong & Wong, Samuel Y.S. & Yeoh, Eng Kiong & Griffiths, Sian M., 2011. "Referral to and attitude towards traditional Chinese medicine amongst western medical doctors in postcolonial Hong Kong," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 247-255, January.
    6. Wong, Irene O.L. & Cowling, Benjamin J. & Lo, Su-Vui & Leung, Gabriel M., 2009. "A multilevel analysis of the effects of neighbourhood income inequality on individual self-rated health in Hong Kong," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 124-132, January.
    7. Adam Wagstaff, 2007. "Health systems in East Asia: what can developing countries learn from Japan and the Asian Tigers?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(5), pages 441-456, May.
    8. Martin Wong & Michael Leung & Caroline Tsang & S. Lo & Sian Griffiths, 2013. "The rising tide of diabetes mellitus in a Chinese population: a population-based household survey on 121,895 persons," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(2), pages 269-276, April.
    9. Fernández Coves, Andrea & Yeung, Karene Hoi Ting & van der Putten, Ingeborg M & Nelson, E. Anthony S, 2022. "Teleconsultation adoption since COVID-19: Comparison of barriers and facilitators in primary care settings in Hong Kong and the Netherlands," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(10), pages 933-944.
    10. Wong, Irene O.L. & Lindner, Michael J. & Cowling, Benjamin J. & Lau, Eric H.Y. & Lo, Su-Vui & Leung, Gabriel M., 2010. "Measuring moral hazard and adverse selection by propensity scoring in the mixed health care economy of Hong Kong," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 24-35, April.
    11. Xiaoxue Liu & Chuanhua Yu & Yongbo Wang & Yongyi Bi & Yu Liu & Zhi-Jiang Zhang, 2019. "Trends in the Incidence and Mortality of Diabetes in China from 1990 to 2017: A Joinpoint and Age-Period-Cohort Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, January.
    12. Gabriel M. Leung & Keith Y. K. Tin & Owen O'Donnell, 2009. "Redistribution or horizontal equity in Hong Kong's mixed public–private health system: a policy conundrum," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(1), pages 37-54, January.
    13. Roger Y Chung & Stewart Mercer & Francisco T T Lai & Benjamin H K Yip & Martin C S Wong & Samuel Y S Wong, 2015. "Socioeconomic Determinants of Multimorbidity: A Population-Based Household Survey of Hong Kong Chinese," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(10), pages 1-15, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. William C. Hsiao, 1994. "‘Marketization’—the illusory magic pill," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 3(6), pages 351-357, November.
    2. Bazyli Czyżewski & Anna Hnatyszyn-Dzikowska & Jan Polcyn, 2016. "Problems of Quantifying Public Goods in the Healthcare Sector," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 3, pages 105-125.
    3. Siadat, Banafsheh & Stolpe, Michael, 2005. "Reforming health care finance: What can Germany learn from other countries?," Kiel Economic Policy Papers 5, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    4. Manpreet Kaur & Surendra S. Yadav & Vinayshil Gautam, 2013. "Financial System Development and Foreign Direct Investment: A Panel Data Study for BRIC Countries," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 14(4), pages 729-742, December.
    5. Miranda, Ernesto & Paredes Molina, Ricardo D., 1997. "Competencia, Integración Vertical y Rendimiento en los Servicios de Salud Públicos y Privados de Chile," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 1995, Inter-American Development Bank.
    6. Ricardo Sanhueza & Jaime Ruiz-Tagle, 2002. "Choosing Health Insurance in a Dual Health Care System: The Chilean Case," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 5, pages 157-184, May.
    7. Ernesto Miranda & Ricardo D. Paredes Molina, 1997. "Organización industrial de los servicios de salud en Chile," Research Department Publications 3005, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    8. Pokhrel, Subhash, 2007. "Determinants of parental reports of children's illnesses: Empirical evidence from Nepal," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(6), pages 1106-1117, September.
    9. Panos Kanavos & Olivier Wouters & Olivier J. Wouters & Martin McKee, 2017. "Private Financing of Health Care in Times of Economic Crisis: a Review of the Evidence," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8, pages 23-29, March.
    10. World Bank, 2017. "Georgia Public Expenditure Review," World Bank Publications - Reports 27138, The World Bank Group.
    11. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i:s2:p:23-29 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Gonzalez Block, Miguel Angel, 1997. "Comparative research and analysis methods for shared learning from health system reforms," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 187-209, December.
    13. Lilani Kumaranayake, 1997. "The Role Of Regulation: Influencing Private Sector Activity Within Health Sector Reform," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(4), pages 641-649.
    14. Xu, Judy & Yang, Yue, 2009. "Traditional Chinese medicine in the Chinese health care system," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(2-3), pages 133-139, May.
    15. Donald W. Light, 2007. "Globalizing Restricted and Segmented Markets: Challenges to Theory and Values in Economic Sociology," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 610(1), pages 232-245, March.
    16. Sengupta, Reshmi & Rooj, Debasis, 2019. "The effect of health insurance on hospitalization: Identification of adverse selection, moral hazard and the vulnerable population in the Indian healthcare market," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 110-129.
    17. Lloyd-Sherlock, Peter, 2000. "Old Age and Poverty in Developing Countries: New Policy Challenges," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(12), pages 2157-2168, December.
    18. Rudolf Sivák & Pavol Ochotnický & Ľuboš Kuchta, 2014. "Fiškálna udržateľnosť systému zdravotníctva SR [Fiscal Sustainability of the National Health Care Systém in the Slovak Republic]," Politická ekonomie, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2014(4), pages 480-499.
    19. Martinez-Gutierrez, María Soledad & Cuadrado, Cristóbal, 2017. "Health policy in the concertación era (1990–2010): Reforms the chilean way," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 117-126.
    20. Larrañaga, Osvaldo, 1997. "Eficiencia y equidad en el sistema de salud chileno," Financiamiento para el Desarrollo 5252, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    21. Lonnroth, Knut & Thuong, Le Minh & Linh, Pham Duy & Diwan, Vinod, 1998. "Risks and benefits of private health care: exploring physicians' views on private health care in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 81-97, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:61:y:2005:i:3:p:577-590. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.