| Description |
A questionnaire study was carried out to identify the causal factors in the selection of a source of health care by women residents of a rural county. Two research questions were posed: 1. What are the demographic characteristics associated with existent patterns of utilization of women's health services in this community? 2. What are the consumer's perceptions of the factors that influence the choice of care? The questionnaire consisted of 117 items divided into descriptive, objective, and subjective data. A comparison of birth certificate data with respondent data was done to establish sample tool validity. The 214 women in the sample were drawn form women residents of Tooele County, Utah, who gave birth in 1975. Respondents ranged in age from 16 years to 43 years. Twenty percent of the sample reported this as their first pregnancy. Length of residency in the County ranged between 1 and 37 years, with a mean of 13.17 years. Chi-square analyses computed between site and last delivery and descriptive data were not significant. However, some positive tendencies were revealed. A higher proportion of women between the ages of 20 and 29, who reported more than a high school education tended to seek obstetrical care for their last deliver outside the county. Residency of three to five years was reported with a higher frequency of women selecting care outside of the county. Questionnaire items dealing with sources of care showed a clustering of care. Women who sought obstetrical services in Tooele also tended to get their general health needs and those of their children met in Tooele. Women, who chose obstetrical care outside the County, also chose other sources of care for themselves and their children outside the County. Those women who sought obstetrical care outside the County tended to select an obstetrician as the care provider. There was little difference reported in health problems between the two groups. Consumer data showed that women who sought care in Tooele ranked convenience and economic factors as major determinants in their selection of a source of care; while women who sought care outside the County, ranked care quality factors as major determinants in the selection process. A two-tailed t-test indicated these relationships were significant findings. In the responses to the open-ended questions asking for recommendations about health services in Toole County, the population surveyed indicated a primary concern with care quality factors such as professional competency and equipment available. Socio-psychological factors such as personalized care were also identified as a high priority by the respondents. |
