title: The ecology of medical care in Beijing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We presented the pattern of health care consumption, and the utilization of available resources by describing the ecology of medical care in Beijing on a monthly basis and by describing the socio-demographic characteristics associated with receipt care in different settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 6,592 adults, 15 years of age and older were sampled to estimate the number of urban-resident adults per 1,000 who visited a medical facility at least once in a month, by the method of three-stage stratified and cluster random sampling. Separate logistic regression analyses assessed the association between those receiving care in different types of setting and their socio-demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average per 1,000 adults, 295 had at least one symptom, 217 considered seeking medical care, 173 consulted a physician, 129 visited western medical practitioners, 127 visited a hospital-based outpatient clinic, 78 visited traditional Chinese medical practitioners, 43 visited a primary care physician, 35 received care in an emergency department, 15 were hospitalized. Health care seeking behaviors varied with socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, ethnicity, resident census register, marital status, education, income, and health insurance status. In term of primary care, the gate-keeping and referral roles of Community Health Centers have not yet been fully established in Beijing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study represents a first attempt to map the medical care ecology of Beijing urban population and provides timely baseline information for health care reform in China.
authors: General Practice and Continue Education School, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China ; Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China ; School of Yan Jing Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors: Shuang
authors: S
authors: Shao
authors: Feifei
authors: F
authors: Zhao
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Feng
authors: Xiaoqin
authors: X
authors: Lu
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Du
authors: Yuxiang
authors: Y
authors: Yan
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Yinghong
authors: Y
authors: Fu
authors: Jingjing
authors: J
authors: Wu
authors: Xinwei
authors: X
authors: Yu
authors: Kaykeng
authors: K
authors: Khoo
authors: Youxin
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004463:Ecology; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014505:Urban Population