Related Experiment Videos
Physicians' utilization of health care
T J Wachtel1, V L Wilcox, A W Moulton
1Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|May 1, 1995
Summary
Physicians utilize formal healthcare services less than the general population but engage highly in preventive care. Their health-seeking behaviors range from self-care to formal medical treatment.
Area of Science:
- Medical Practice
- Healthcare Utilization
- Physician Health
Background:
- Understanding physician healthcare-seeking behaviors is crucial for assessing overall health system engagement.
- Physicians, as healthcare providers, may exhibit unique patterns in attending to their own health needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and describe the patterns of healthcare utilization among physicians.
- To explore the spectrum of self-care, informal consultation, and formal treatment sought by physicians.
Main Methods:
- A mailed survey was administered to a random sample of healthcare providers in Rhode Island.
- Data were collected on medical conditions and the utilization of formal and informal care over a three-year period.
- Respondents indicated whether services were self-initiated or physician-initiated.
Main Results:
- Physicians demonstrated low overall use of formal health services, with office visits significantly below the national average.
- A majority of physicians reported having a primary care physician, and a substantial portion sought informal care.
- Preventive service utilization was high, including Pap tests, mammography, and cholesterol checks, with self-prescribing of medications also noted.
Conclusions:
- Physicians' healthcare-seeking behaviors encompass self-care, informal consultations, and formal medical care.
- Physicians appear to be underutilizers of general formal healthcare services but are high users of preventive care measures.