| Abstract: | This study is to investigate healthcare supply and demand in criminal
correction institutions in Taiwan. Inmates? healthcare needs and satisfaction with medical services were examined. Medical equipment, types of medical services, number of outpatient services and healthcare professional manpower offered in the institutions were also surveyed. Moreover, inmates? healthcare utilization includes
the number of person and amount used were counted.
The structured questionnaire was used to investigate one-tenth of all inmates who were clustered sampling from the criminal correction institutions in Taiwan. There were 5,098 questionnaires collected to analyze. The multiple regression analysis method was conducted to find out the related factors which influence inmate?s satisfaction with healthcare services. In order to understand current supply
of medical equipment, manpower, and healthcare utilization of inmate in the institutions, related information was also obtained.
The major diseases, which inmates suffer from, are ?skin disease?, ?intestines and stomach digestive system related diseases? and ?hypertension?. The major non-prescription drugs inmate taking are ?analgesic tablet?, ?cold drug? and ?skin
ointment?. There are 24.35% of prisoners who are satisfied with the healthcare services provided by the correction institutions and 26.56% of them are dissatisfied with the services. The influencing factors of healthcare satisfaction include ?the speed of going to a doctor after claiming? ,?the degree of medicines offered
meeting inmate?s needs?, ?types of medical services?, ?days of outpatient services weekly?, ?ratio of number of public outpatient services to number of inmates? and other satisfaction for specific medical services such as ?doctor?s explanation of sickness?, ?doctor?s explanation of drug use?, and ?attitudes of other medical staffs?.
For supply side of medical manpower, the shortage of specialists is the main problem for 68.09? of all institutions. The insufficient manpower of nurses and physicians shortage at night or on holidays are also the problems for most of the institutions. For supply side of medical equipment, the scanty isolated wards for infectious diseases is the main problem for 23.40% of all institutions. Furthermore, the great debts of inmates for healthcare services are also the major issues for 42.55% of all institutions. Average number of medical utilization is 14.6 per inmates per year, and average annual medical expenditure is NT?4,011 per inmate.
In comparison with any other criminal correction institutions? medical services, Pei-Teh Hospital, which founded as the central Taiwan medical division in Taichung Prison, obtains much higher inmates? satisfaction with medical services. It also indicates that setting up a hospital like Pei-Teh Hospital exclusively for inmates is a positive way. However, because most institutions are
short of budget, insufficient physicians, nurses and medical equipment offered barred the chances of promoting healthcare quality. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice regulates the total payment and working hours of each institution?s medical
manpower; other items are planned and controlled by each institution. This study recommends that in order to protect inmates? right of receiving basic medical services, the Ministry of Justice should earmark the fund for medical services only,and regulate certain ratio of number of public outpatient services to number of
inmates. The recommendation for the institutions is to commission medical teams to transact medical divisions with OEM. Furthermore, in order to pacify and reform inmates, team members should give more attention and respect to inmates when they provide services. |
