The use of general practice services by 18 year olds in New Zealand

To ascertain the opinions of 861 eighteen year olds about their use and opinion of health services.

A computer generated questionnaire delivered to 440 males and 421 females at or around their eighteenth birthday.

General practice was the overwhelmingly predominant provider of health services to this group with 69% of males and 86% of females having consulted. Satisfaction with the service given by general practitioners was high, as it was with other less common providers. Female users were significantly more likely than males to have problems of embarrassment with the doctor or a worry that their parents might be told of the consultation. While only 4% of females preferred to discuss their health problems with a male doctor, 88% had a male doctor. For 50% of the females, choice of doctor depends on the nature of the problem for which they consult.

General practice is seen by these adolescents as providing a highly satisfactory service and the general practitioner is by far the most commonly consulted health professional. There is, however, no doubt that more choice in the gender of the doctor would improve satisfaction with the service. The study also demonstrates that having the same doctor for all problems is not necessarily acceptable to adolescent female patients.