ABSTRACT
<b><i>Abstract</i></b><br><b>Introduction</b> : For stable patients, we actively performed a reverse introduction into peripheral medical institutions, but “the interinstitutional relations in medical treatment which a hospital doctor hopes for” were not promoted or established.<br><b>Aim</b> : Our primary aims were to understand “the interinstitutional relations in the field of medical treatment that outpatients demand” and to obtain materials to promote and establish such relations. Another major aim was to substantially investigate the backgrounds of the patients, the coordinated medical institutions, and general hospitals by using structural equation modeling, and to identify latent factors promoting interinstitutional relations in medical treatment.<br><b>Method</b> : We enrolled 471 outpatients as subjects and conducted a questionnaire survey.<br><b>Results</b> : Both the hopes and expectations of patients for coordinated medical institutions were related to a “strong connection with the general hospital and with the specialists”. On the other hand, the issuing of a “long-term prescription” with the purpose of reducing the burden on the outpatient department was a strong factor that disturbed such relations.<br><b>Conclusions</b> : Our study suggested that the strong relationships that exist among these three elements--patients, peripheral medical institutions, and general hospitals--are latent factors that satisfy the medical demands of the patients and are promoted by smooth interinstitutional medical cooperation.