ACW Lee

Abstract

Patients with disabling illnesses may be eligible for the Disability Allowance under the Social Security Allowance Scheme of the Social Welfare Department. The definition of severe disablement under the Scheme, however, is not directly applicable for the paediatric patient. A questionnaire survey was conducted to examine the recommendation made by paediatricians working in public hospitals on 19 pre-selected haematological and oncological disorders. The respondents consisted of paediatricians not specialised in haematology and oncology ("non-specialists") and paediatricians working in the field ("specialists"). Twenty-three (53%) of the 43 questionnaires distributed were returned. A consistent response in the recommendation of Disability Allowance was seen in 13 out of 19 conditions, in which over 80% of the respondents had the same reply. Discrepant responses were seen in the remaining conditions. Respondents also differed in their waiting period when discontinuing the recommendation after completion of anticancer chemotherapy. Discrepancies occurred not only between "specialists" and "non-specialists", but also among "specialists". Potential conflicts may arise when patients with the same medical condition are treated differently by different doctors, or from hospital to hospital.

根據社會福利署社會保障津貼計劃的規定，患有致殘性疾病的患者可申請傷殘津貼。儘管如此，該計劃中定義的兒科的重度殘疾者不能直接申請該津貼。在公立醫院工作的兒科醫生建議對 19 種預選的血液病及腫瘤病給予補貼並對此進行了一項問卷調查，答卷者包括非血液病及腫瘤病專科的兒科醫生，以及血液病及腫瘤病專科的兒科醫生。43 份問卷中有 23 份(53%)完成並寄回，其中 80% 一致認為對 19 種疾病中的 13 種應建議實行傷殘津貼，對其餘的疾病則意見各不一致。被調查者對抗癌化療完成後何時終止傷殘津貼的時間亦有各不相同的看法。不僅專科醫生與非專科醫生之間有不同意見，專科醫生之間亦同樣存在意見分歧。再者，潛在的矛盾還存在於患有同樣疾病但在不同醫院及不同醫生處理接受治療的病人之間。