Private doctors' practices, knowledge, and attitude to reporting of communicable diseases: a national survey in Taiwan
2009

Private Doctors' Reporting of Communicable Diseases in Taiwan

Sample size: 1093 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Tan Hsiu-Fen, Yeh Chia-Yu, Chang Hsueh-Wei, Chang Chen-Kang, Tseng Hung-Fu

Primary Institution: Chang Jung Christian University

Hypothesis

What factors influence private doctors' reporting behavior regarding communicable diseases in Taiwan?

Conclusion

Improving the reporting rate may require changing doctors' attitudes and simplifying the reporting process.

Supporting Evidence

  • 37.2% of doctors reported having diagnosed reportable communicable diseases.
  • 83.5% of those who diagnosed reportable diseases had experience in reporting.
  • The most common reasons for not reporting included concerns about patient privacy and the complexity of the reporting process.

Takeaway

Doctors in Taiwan often don't report diseases because they worry about patient privacy and find the process too complicated. Making it easier to report could help.

Methodology

A national survey was conducted with 1093 private doctors using a self-administered structured questionnaire.

Potential Biases

Selection bias may exist as only doctors who agreed to participate were included.

Limitations

The study may not capture the views of non-responding doctors, who might have different opinions.

Participant Demographics

The majority of participants were male (86.9%) and over 40 years old (83.4%).

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2334-9-11

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