Characteristics of patients seeking family-oriented care

A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 570 adult patients at three family practice centers to identify the demographic characteristics of those whose entire household was cared for at the same facility. Two of the three centers were free-standing community-based ambulatory care sites, and the third was situated adjacent to a community hospital. Although 95 percent of respondents considered the family practice center their usual source of care, only 54 percent sought care for every household member. Among this latter group, marital status (divorced patients) and race (white) were shown to be a significant determinants of health care utilization by families. The implications of these findings are discussed with recommendations for further research to better define the characteristics and expectations of the population served by family physicians.