Journal of Taiwan Occupational Therapy Research and Practice
半年刊,正常發行
目的:探討天氣因素及 COVID-19 疫情對復健科成人門診職能治療就醫意願的影響,為醫療資源合理配置提供參考。方法:收集 2015 年至 2023 年復健科每月門診就醫人次及當地天氣資料,透過 Poisson 迴歸模型分析天氣因子(氣溫、濕度、氣壓、日照率等)與就醫人次的關係,並評估疫情的影響。結果:氣溫和氣壓對就診人次有正面影響,而濕度、日照率和露點溫度則呈現負面影響。疫情期間就診人次顯著下降。結論:本研究實證支持天氣因素及 COVID-19 疫情對醫療需求的影響,此結果可作為不同季節性及傳染性疫情爆發時的醫療政策、醫療人力調整、及醫療相關配套措施的依據。
Objective: To investigate the effects of weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic on the willingness of adult outpatients to receive occupational therapy in rehabilitation clinics, and provide insights for optimal allocation of medical resources. Methods: We collected monthly outpatient visit data from a rehabilitation clinic and local weather data from 2015 to 2023. Poisson regression models were employed to analyze the relationship between weather factors (temperature, humidity, pressure, sunshine duration, etc.) and outpatient visits, and assessed the impact of the pandemic. Results: Moderate temperature and pressure had positive impacts on outpatient visits, while humidity, sunshine duration, and dew point emperature showed negative effects. Outpatient visits declined significantly during the pandemic period. Conclusion: This study provides empirical support for the influence of weather conditions on healthcare demand. However, the use of monthly average data may not accurately reflect actual weather situations. Future research could utilize daily weather data and incorporate more influencing factors to improve prediction accuracy. Key words: weather factors, willingness to visit clinic, pandemic impact.