A survey with self-administered questionnaire conducted in 357 families with children suffering from with hand-foot-mouth disease showed that 74. 5 percent of patients' home was at a distance of less than one kilometer to medical-care institutions, and 41.7 % of patients went to village clinics or community health-care service stations as their first visit. Diagnosis could be established for 31. 5% of them in their first visit, and 78. 4% of them underwent referral taking public vehicles.