Graduate School for Health Practice, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909, Australia.
Health Policy Plan. 2010 Jul;25(4):311-8. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czp062. Epub 2010 Jan 25.
We present a simple descriptive study of maternal health care utilization among ethnic minority women in a remote region of China. Factors that affect women obtaining care and their decision-making are explored. Results show that utilization of maternal health care services is associated with a range of social, economic, cultural and geographic factors as well as the policies of the state and the delivery of services. Utilization is not necessarily increased through easy access to a health facility. We identify potential for improving utilization through developing the role of village-based health care workers, expanding mobile antenatal care clinics and changing the way township hospital services are provided and funded. This would include modifications to rural health insurance schemes. Several of these changes are achievable at the township or county level. The findings of this study provide insights that can be used by local health providers, planners and decision-makers to improve the provision of maternal health care services to ethnic minority women.
我们对中国偏远地区少数民族妇女的医疗保健利用情况进行了一项简单的描述性研究。探讨了影响妇女获得医疗保健服务的因素及其决策因素。结果表明，医疗保健服务的利用与一系列社会、经济、文化和地理因素以及国家政策和服务提供有关。方便获得医疗设施并不一定能增加利用率。我们通过发展基于村庄的医疗保健工作者的作用、扩大流动产前护理诊所以及改变乡镇医院服务的提供和供资方式，确定了提高利用率的潜力。这将包括修改农村医疗保险计划。这些变化中的一些可以在乡镇或县级实现。本研究的结果为当地卫生提供者、规划者和决策者提供了可用于改善少数民族妇女获得孕产妇保健服务的见解。
