醫療照護市場同時具有諸多特性，其中不確定性的存在，使得資訊多寡在醫療消費者之決策中扮演著重要的角色。然而因為醫療具有高度專業性，故醫療照護市場亦存有資訊不對等之問題，另一方面，由於醫療照護市場的資訊並未完全公開流通，致使醫療消費者往往無法在擁有充分資訊的情況下作出其最適選擇決策。因此，本研究分別以一般民眾與住院病患為對象，用電訪方式調查一般民眾對於醫療供給者資訊需要之現況，另以面訪方式瞭解在各種資訊皆為可得的假設情況下，住院病患所重視的健康資訊內涵為何，並經由分析影響病患對於健康資訊需要的因素，瞭解具有何種特質者比較需要健康資訊，可提供衛生主管單位以及醫療機構作為政策規劃之參考，期能透過資訊的流通增進醫療服務市場之效率。本研究之主要結果如下：
一、 在受訪的一般民眾中有59.3%表示需要與醫療供給者相關的資訊；在受訪的住院病患中，則有56.3%表示需要與醫療供給者相關的資訊，有60.9%表示需要醫療保健資訊。若有具公信力的機構提供健康資訊電話諮詢服務，半數的住院病患表示在需要時會利用此項服務。而病患希望得到的醫療供給者資訊項目，排名前五項包括各醫師的專長、醫術、醫德、是否願與病患溝通以及各醫療院所之電話、地址與交通路線。此外，有62.7%的受訪病患希望訊息能以印行小冊子之方式傳播，而政府衛生單位為大多數受訪病患所信賴的資訊提供者。
二、 影響「住院病患是否需要醫療保健資訊」之因素，經控制其他變項後發現年齡較輕者、個人平均月收入愈高者、平常看報紙醫療保健版的頻率愈高者，以及本人為此次選擇就醫地點的決策者，比較需要醫療保健資訊，且其影響達統計上的顯著水準。
三、 影響「住院病患是否需要醫療供給者相關資訊」之因素，經控制其他變項後，發現年齡較輕者、教育程度愈高者、平常看報紙醫療保健版的頻率愈高者以及本人為此次選擇就醫地點的決策者，比較需要與醫療供給者相關的資訊，其影響達統計上的顯著水準。
茲根據本研究結果，提出如下之建議：(1)衛生主管機關應加強現有資訊之傳播，並進一步收集各醫療院所具有搜尋財屬性之訊息，集結成系統性資訊使之公開流通，讓民眾在知曉其有何選擇的情況下作出最適選擇決策；(2)各醫療院所可主動提供醫療保健資訊，並在醫療法的規範下提供院方資料供民眾參考，提高民眾尋求醫療服務時選擇前往就醫之機會；(3)如何彙整各類健康資訊提供予民眾參考，是未來值得再深入探討的主題。

Several characteristics exist in our health care market, one of which is uncertainty. Because of the uncertainties of demand and treatment outcome, health information plays an important role in every decision made by health care consumers. Besides, owing to the highly specialized knowledge in medicine, information asymmetry also occurs in our health care market. Since the information in the health care market is usually inaccessible, consumers are not able to make their optimal choice. Therefore, in this research paper, we used a telephone survey to investigate people''''s need for health information. Furthermore, through face-to-face interviews with hospitalized patients, we examined their needs for health information and the actions they have taken to gather the information. Results from the study can provide the health authority and medical institutions a guide to make proper policies and can increase the efficiency of the health service market. The main results of this research paper are as the following:
1. Fifty nine percent of the community interviewed subjects need the information related with the medical service provider as compared with 56.3% of the inpatients. About 60.9% of the interviewed inpatients also need health related knowledge. If there is an institution which can provide health-related information through telephone enquiring, more than half of the interviewed inpatients are willing to use this service. The top 5 medical provider related information wanted by the interviewed inpatients include: the specialty of the doctor, physician''''s medical expertise, the medical ethics, the doctor''''s willingness to communicate with patients, and the general information of a hospital. About 62.7% of the interviewed inpatients prefer to receive the information via booklets, and the government health agency is the most trustworthy organization to provide such information.
2. The factors influencing inpatient''''s need for health-related knowledge are examined. Persons with younger age, with higher income, accustomed to read medical health related information from newspapers, and being the decision maker of this hospitalization are more likely to need health-related information. These findings are statistically significant.
3. The factors influencing whether an inpatient needs the provider-related information are also examined. Persons who are younger, more educated, accustomed to read medical health related information from newspapers, and the decision maker of this hospitalization are more likely to need medical provider information. These findings are also statistically significant.
According to the findings, several recommendations are made: 1.The health authority should collect and transmit medical provider information to the public to facilitate their selection of health care providers. 2.Hospitals and clinics may actively provide health-related information and their institutes'''' general information to potential consumers that may increase the accessibility to the providers. 3.How to integrate various kinds of health information for the public will be an important issue for further discussion.

第一章 緒論
第二章 文獻探討
第一節 健康資訊之定義
第二節 資訊在消費者醫療決策中所扮演之角色
第三節 民眾就醫選擇因素之相關研究
第四節 健康資訊相關研究
第三章 民眾對於醫療供給者相關資訊需要之調查
壹 研究方法
第一節 研究材料
第二節 研究變項之操作型定義
第三節 資料分析方法
貳 研究結果
第一節 樣本特質描述
第二節 民眾所需要之醫療供給者資訊項目與資訊傳播方式
第三節 民眾是否需要醫療供給者相關資訊之影響因素
參 討論
第一節 重要研究結果
第二節 研究限制
第四章 住院病患對於健康資訊需要之調查
壹 研究方法
第一節 研究架構與研究假說
第二節 研究材料
第三節 研究變項之操作型定義
第四節 資料分析方法
貳 研究結果
第一節 樣本特質描述
第二節 住院病患求醫前搜尋醫療供給者相關資訊之行為
第三節 住院病患求醫前是否打聽醫療供給者相關資訊之影響因素
第四節 住院病患所需要之健康資訊項目與資訊傳播方式
第五節 住院病患是否需要健康資訊之影響因素
參 討論
第一節 重要研究結果
第二節 研究限制
第五章 綜合討論與結論
第一節 綜合討論
第二節 結論
第三節 建議

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