Health care utilisation and general practitioner satisfaction in young women : presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University /
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Date
1997
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Massey University
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Abstract
That existing health care services do not fully cater to women's needs is well documented. In the present study the distinct health needs of young women, as a group, pertaining to general practice care was addressed. The study aimed to examine the impact of general practitioner care on the respondent in terms of her own assessment of the satisfaction derived from this interaction, using quantitative and qualitative data. Other objectives of the study were to identify determining factors associated with young women's heavy use of general practitioner services (using Anderson's Behavioural Model of Health Service Utilisation) and to explore the relationship of selected access factors to health care utilisation and general practitioner satisfaction A non-random convenience sample of ninety six young women from Wellington city, aged from 18 - 26 years, participated in the questionnaire survey. Regarding patient satisfaction, the qualitative data showed that the highest priority was accorded to the excellence of the interpersonal rapport established during the consultation, a factor which has been found to be a significant predictor of patient satisfaction in previous studies. The quantitative data showed that the respondents were least satisfied with the quality of information provided by their general practitioner concerning their complaint. Regarding health service utilisation, the chief reason for general practitioner use was the presence of physical symptoms. Accessibility, measured by mode of transport to the general practitioner, emerged as the only significant access factor, whereby young women without private transport were found to utilise general practice services more. Overall, the results underscore the importance of interpersonal skills in general practice care and the primacy of need factors (rather than predisposing and enabling factors as described in Anderson's model) in determining general practitioner use.
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New Zealand, Young women -- Medical care, Women's health services, Patient satisfaction