Abstract
Bias and uncertainty are common on various unprofessional health information sources. Without good information on their choices, consumers may be unable to approach optimal services that fulfill their health needs. This study reports on the needs and use of information on selecting/switching physician by consumers in Taipei, a metropolitan region long known for its abundant health-care services as well as mature health insurances and transportation systems that support peoples‘ convenient approach to health-care plans. Research design was cross-sectional cohorts study, interviewing using a structured questionnaire survey that encompass 51 patients approaching to cardiovascular specialty clinics in a hospital and the other 51 to a private surgical clinic. Many of the 102 respondents reported their search for advice from other resources, perhaps by taking to family, friends, or by surfing medical columns. A half of them actually selected physicians and a quarter ever switched physicians base on those uncertain information. Factors of demographic characteristics, health consciousness, and health-related quality of life interacted each other and affecting peoples’ behavior in searching for optimal health-care services. The answers to these questions can be important if health insurance programs want to encourage consumers to use effective health information sources and discourage them from unnecessary hospital-shopping on uncertain information.