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Medical Care Use by Individuals
Author(s) -
Krassa Lucie G.,
Kline Kristin L.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x7600400303
Subject(s) - residence , metropolitan area , medical services , variance (accounting) , estimation , family income , medical care , health care , family medicine , medicine , psychology , gerontology , business , demographic economics , economic growth , economics , accounting , management , pathology
In view of rapid changes in the health care delivery system, which are bringing about changes in medical care prices, in the proportion of costs paid by the family, and in pay ment methods, estimation of family medical care costs from surveys of household expendi tures is unsatisfactory. The purpose of this study was to explore a method for estimating amounts of medical services used by individuals with given characteristics. These estimates could be used as a basis for developing family budget guidance materials and for public policy planning. Three types of medical services were studied—hospital services, doctors' services, and dentists' services. From among a number of individual and family characteris tics for which national survey data were available, several that help to explain variation in use of the three types of medical services by individuals were identified by regression analy sis: age, sex, presence or absence of a chronic health condition, education, family income, employment status, metropolitan residence, and region. Adjusted coefficients of multiple determination were significant. Only a small proportion of the variance was explained, indicating the need for more information as to factors affecting the use of medical services by individuals.