More than half of Romanians do not undergo routine health check-ups

Newsroom 07/09/2011 | 12:30

A large part of Romanians do not go to routine annual check-ups or only do it when they have health problems, according to a survey made by IMAS at the request of MedLife.

As many as 45 percent of the respondents said they have not undergone a medical routine check-up over the last two years while 6 percent of the respondents have never gone to such a control.

The survey also reveals that the family doctor’s advice is the most important when choosing a specialist or a clinic. Two thirds of the respondents (69 percent) take into account this advice when choosing their clinic or specialist. Other important sources of information are recommendations from the family, friends or neighbors (48 percent) and information on the internet and in the mass-media (16 percent).

In the case of Romanians who go to private clinics, the quality of the medical act is the most important selection criterion. The reputation of the doctors is another important fact for 50 percent of them. Also important are the attitude of the medical staff (for 37 percent of respondents), the equipment (34 percent), the price of the services offered (28 percent), the waiting time (23 percent) and the advice of the family doctor (14 percent).

Otilia Haraga