Profile of the questionnaire respondents

The age range of the respondents of the questionnaire was from 28 to 75 years, the average age was 39 years.

Table 4.2.1 Age of the respondents Age of the respondents (n=159)

Under 30 years 6.9%

30 to 39 years 44.7%

40 to 49 years 43.0%

50 years and more 14.5%

A majority of respondents were male (67%). The results showed a female predominance in younger physicians (group age: “under 30 years”

and “30 to 39 years”). This result was also correlated with the years of clinical practice where we found less female physicians with a long clinical experience.

Most of the physicians obtained a bachelor degree in Taiwan. A lot of them also had a master degree. A few possessed a PhD but one third of these PhD were issued from mainland China.

Figure 4.2.1 Degree obtained by the physicians

A majority of the respondents were graduated from the school of Chinese medicine and the school of Post baccalaureate Chinese medicine.

Table 4.2.2 Chinese medicine course Chinese medicine course (n=160)

School of Chinese medicine 51.3%

School of Post baccalaureate Chinese medicine 44.4%

Special licence qualification 4.4%

In the school of Post baccalaureate Chinese medicine, we found a larger proportion of female physicians (41.5%) than in the other groups (25.7% for

the school of Chinese medicine and 14.3% for the special licence qualification group). The special licence qualified physicians were older than the physicians in the two other groups, 86% of them fell in the categories of

“40 to 49 years” and “50 and more years” (49% for the physicians of the school of Chinese medicine and 45% for the physicians of the school of Post baccalaureate Chinese medicine). Furthermore, they were working only in regional hospitals (71.4%) and teaching hospitals (28.6%). For the two other groups, the physicians were distributed in all the different hospitals.

The majority of the respondents didn’t have a lot of clinical experience.

Their average years of practice was 7 years (from 1 to 36 years). A large proportion of the physicians of the school of Chinese medicine and the school of Post baccalaureate Chinese medicine fell in the category of “1 to 5 years” of clinical practice. In comparison the special licence qualified physicians had more clinical experience, 43% of them had more than 10 years of clinical experience (37% for the physicians of the school of Chinese medicine and 19% for the physicians of the school of Post baccalaureate Chinese medicine).

Figure 4.2.2 Years of practice

Most of the physicians worked in a teaching hospital or a regional hospital. The location of the hospitals within cities areas or a districts areas was well balanced. 56% of the hospitals were situated in cities areas and 46% in districts areas.

Figure 4.2.3 Place of practice

Figure 4.2.4 Hospitals geographical situation

There were a majority of hospitals situated in the North, but the three regions were well represented. The teaching hospitals were distributed in the three parts of the island. A majority of rural hospitals were located in the central part of the island and the Chinese medicine hospitals were mainly situated in the North and in the South. The rural hospitals were more likely to be located in districts areas and the Chinese medicine hospitals were mainly located in cities areas. Teaching and regional hospitals were almost equally distributed between cities and districts areas.

We found a high rate of teaching experience as well as publication that showed an active participation and contribution of the physicians to the medical field. 60.6% of the physicians had teaching experience and 60% of the physicians published articles. Most of the publications were in Chinese.

Table 4.2.3 Publications

Publication Chinese journal SCI journal Chinese & SCI journals

48.8% 6.9% 4.4%

This participation was related to the age, the years of practice and the education background. In general, teaching experience, publications and participation of international meeting showed a higher rate for the older physicians and for physicians with a long clinical practice. Statistical evidences demonstrated that the teaching experience was correlated to the age and years of practice of the physicians and that the age was also related to the publication’s rate.

Table 4.2.4 Participation and contribution regarding the age of the physicians

Age Under 30

years

30 to 39 years

40 to 49 years

50 years and more

Teaching experience* 18.2% 53.5% 78.2% 60.9%

Publication* 18.2% 49.3% 78.2% 69.6%

Participation to international meetings

27.3% 20.3% 31.5% 36.4%

Table 4.2.5 Participation and contribution regarding the years of practice of the physicians

Years of practice 1 to 5 years

6 to 10 years

11 to 20 years

More than 20 years

Teaching experience* 44.1% 68.9% 79.4% 77.8%

Publication 50.0% 62.2% 73.5% 77.8%

Participation to international meetings

27.9% 16.7% 35.3% 37.5%

It is interesting to note that younger physicians and physicians with less years of clinical practice were more used to teach in students or public associations as older physicians and physicians with more years of clinical practice were teaching in universities, hospitals, medical associations or opening their own classes.

The education background also played a role even there was no statistical evidence for it. Special licence qualified physicians showed a higher rate of participation and contribution. They were mainly teaching in medical associations, student or public associations or having their own class.

Physicians from the school of Chinese Medicine were more likely to teach in the universities and finally physicians of school of Post baccalaureate

Table 4.2.6 Participation and contribution regarding education course of the physicians

Education background School of Chinese medicine

School of Post baccalaureate Chinese medicine

Special licence qualification

Teaching experience 66.2% 53.7% 85.7%

Publication 67.6% 52.4 71.4%

Participation to international meetings

30.0% 22.8% 49.2%