In 2004, the number of physicians every ten thousand population was 14.7 in Taiwan. The number already attained the objective of the plan of medical net system in which the number of physicians every ten thousand population should be 13.3. But the problem of physician manpower in Taiwan is not insufficient supply, the problem is the unequal distribution geographically. Physicians often worked in cities which had high degree of urbanization. In 2004, the physician manpower in Taipei was 27.69 per ten thousand population, compared with 7.01 per ten thousand populations in 48 remote townships. The effects of “Medical Professional Development Program” which held by ex- Taiwan Provencal and Department of Health during year 1969 to 2000 were showed significant improvement for physician manpower in remote communities. 62 per 100 physicians chosen to stay in remote communities after the program run out, the number was quarter of physicians working in remote communities on hand (N=249). The “National Health Insurance Project of Integrated Delivery System in Mountainous and Islet Districts” has been carried out in mountainous, islet and outlying districts nation-wide since 1999. The program encouraged health care supplies to cooperate with health care facilities to integrate existing medical resources and support medical care to remote communities. The objective of this program was to resolve the problem of unequal distribution of physician manpower in mountainous and islet districts. The study will collect healthcare professionals’ manpower from “Medical Professional Development Program” from the Department of Health. The study will calculate numbers of healthcare professionals who still stay and work in mountainous and islet districts. Questionnaires will be used to investigate the factors which affect medical professionals’ choices to stay in remote communities or leave after the services period run out which regulated by the “National Health Insurance Project of Integrated Delivery System in Mountainous and Islet Districts”. Otherwise, according to the expert meetings, the study will conclude the indicators for physician manpower distribution in Taiwan, and will evaluate the distribution of physician manpower, and will show the accessibilities of medical utilization in remote communities. Furthermore, questionnaires will be conducted to understand the affinity and accessibility of medical care for the residents in mountains and islet districts. In order to understand the medical professionals’ manpower needs for Medical Professionals Development Program, the study will use questionnaire to understand the subjective demands for medical professionals. Moreover, the study will analyze the numbers of medical professionals in mountains and islet districts to calculate the objective manpower demands for medical professionals. According to the subjective and objective manpower demands for medical professionals in remote communities, trend analysis and grey prediction model will be conducted to predict the medical professionals’ manpower demands in mountains and islets districts. The results of this study can be the useful references for the policies of Medical Professionals Development Program.
