Objective To analyze the effect of the new cooperative medical care on the use of outpatient services by rural residents so as to provide scientific basis for its improvement. Methods Using the stratified cluster sampling method, house-to-house surveys on the residents of Dongying via interviews were conducted both before and after the implementation of the new cooperative medical care. Results Although the two-week rate of seeking medical services by the rural residents after the implementation of the new cooperative medical care did not increase, changes did take place in the flow direction of the patients and the rate of seeking medical services at the end of two weeks took a downward turn. Fairness in the use of health services by the residents was enhanced. Conclusion The new cooperative medical care strongly guarantees rural patients' access to medical care.

Fairness, which is of special importance to health economy policies, has the following three major implications: fairness of the state of health, fairness of the delivery of health services and fairness of health fundraising. Traditional methods for measuring fairness include those of range, Lorentz curve, Jeany coefficient, difference index, and, for measuring unfairness, those of slope index, relative index and comprehensive curve. Recently WHO put forward 3 new fairness indexes and measurement methods, viz. measuring the fairness of residents health via the distribution index of child survival rate and disability adjusted life expectancy; measuring the fairness of the delivery of health services via reactivity; and measuring the fairness of health fundraising via the fairness and reasonableness index for the contributions of funds.

Methods of payment have always been a key part of health reform in various countries of the world. The paper gives a general account of the evolution of methods of payment for hospital care throughout the universe and the evolution and prospects of CP DRG. It expounds the necessity and viability of adopting CP DRG in China and suggests that we take the initiative in using the experience of other countries for reference, learn from other countries practice, speed up reform in methods of payment for hospital care, publish relevant policies, and reinforce theoretical and applied research on CP DRG.

Objective To investigate the physical and mental health of Shandong medical personnel.Methods 3200 medical personnel were randomly selected from hospitals of Shandong province,selfhealth,depression and sense of work stress were measured and analyzed statistically.Results 36.3％ of medical staff was in depression state,and even about 22.5％ of the subjects was in moderate or severe depression state.Male and female medical staff showed no difference in sense of work pressure.Senior medical staff showed higher working pressure than middle-class,junior-class and low-level medical personnel,but middleclass,junior medical staff and low-level medical staff showed no significant difference.In the aspect of self-health status,male and female medical personnel showed no significant differences,senior,middle-class and junior-class medical staff reported worse self-health status than low-level medical personnel.Conclusions Managers should pay attention to physical and mental health of medical personnel,adopt pertinent measures to reduce their mental pressure in order to promote their physical and mental health.

Objective To assess the use of hospitalization services by urban and rural residents of Dongying City and its influencing factors. Methods A survey on health services in the whole city was conducted in 2002 and on the basis of a descriptive analysis of the data, an analysis of the influencing factors of hospitalization probability was made by means of logistic regression. Results The hospitalization ratio of urban and rural residents of Dongying averaged 57‰ whereas the ratio of nonhospitalization averaged 42‰, both being higher than the average national levels. The hospitalization ratio of urban residents was 76‰ whereas that of rural residents was 46‰, the former being significantly higher than the latter. Factors influencing hospitalization probability chiefly included sex, age, income, and medical insurance system. Conclusion It is suggested that the process of regional health planning be accelerated and systems of medical security and medical aid be adopted.

Objective To understand the demand for chronic disease care by Dongying residents so as to provide basis for the formulation of disease control strategies by the government. Methods A sample survey was made on family health services dehvered to Dongying residents and an analysis was made using an economic model of demand elasticity. Results The coefficients of price elasticity for basic chronic disease care in the urban and rural areas of Dongying were respectively -0.268 and -0.469 and the coefficients of income elasticity were respectively 0.176 and 0.370. The price and income factors had a fairly big influence on the demand of the rural residents. Conclusion The price factor of health services must he taken into serious consideration in managing medical and health services institutions so as to genuinely improve the demand for health services by residents.

Objective: To well understand the mental health status and its affecting factors of the residents aged 15 and above of Weihai city. Methods:The sample was randomly chosen by using cluster-based sampling method and was interviewed by using both self-made questionnaire and Kessler 10 rating scale. SPSS was used to analyze the field data.Results:11652 individuals were interviewed, the score distribution in total was 13.3?5.6 and about 22% of them were likely to have a mild or medium or high mental disorder. The factors affecting mental health status were various, not only including general factors such as age, sex, but also other factors such as physical condition.Conclusion:The factors affecting mental health are multiple, about one in five residents are in poor mental status.

Efficiency, one of the key principles of economic assessment in the health service sector, has three implications: technical efficiency, cost efficiency and allocation efficiency. The paper gives an account of the various interpretations of some relevant concepts and different assessment methods. The following methods are frequently used to measure technical efficiency: ratio analysis, CPD, comprehensive index, DEA, etc. Economic efficiency is measured by production function while CEA, CUA and CBA are used to assess cost result. The major indexes for assessing allocation efficiency include the proportion between medical and preventive services, the proportion between basic and non basic medical services and the flow direction of total health expenses.

Fundraising policies on the part of both the supply and the requisitioning parties are currently the major health fundraising policies adopted by various countries in the world. Yet these policies, to a greater or lesser extent, failed to incorporate fairness, thus producing the following effects: apparent unfairness of health, hindrance to the accessibility and availability of health services as a result of unfair distribution of health resources, and additional unfairness brought about by rising medical expenses. In order to perfect health fundraising policies and enhance social fairness, it is imperative for us to attach importance to the delivery of basic medical services and preventive health care; health fundraising policies ought to favor more those weak groups of people, such as the poor and those with low incomes; and various forms of payment in advance should be actively promoted.

Objective To provide the administrative departments in the health sector with a method for estimating hospital beds when making regional health plans. Methods The method of general surveys was adopted to make relevant investigation on all the cities and districts in Shandong Province. Data collected were estimated by borrowed and self-developed formulas. Results By 2005, the total number of hospital beds in the province will be reduced by 5.19%, the number of beds in the city seats will be reduced by 4.97%, the number of beds in the county seats will be reduced by 1.03%, and the number of beds in the township seats will be reduced by 9.68%. Conclusion The findings of the study have filled in a gap at present when there is a lack of estimating methods. They are viable and yet still need to be polularized and perfected in practice.