TY - JOUR
T1 - Medical care as a commodity - An exploration of the shopping behavior of patients
AU - Olsen, Donna M.
AU - Kane, Robert L.
AU - Kasteler, Josephine
PY - 1976/12/1
Y1 - 1976/12/1
N2 - A 10% household sample of high- and low-income census tracts was interviewed to assess the extent of doctor shopping. In 632 households studied, 53% of high socioeconomic status and 51% of low socioeconomic status families had shopped for or changed doctors of their own volition. During the previous year, 4% of each socioeconomic group had consulted more than one doctor without referral for the same episode of illness. Shoppers could be distinguished from non-shoppers-shoppers were younger, were better informed about medical specialties, were less self-reliant, more hypochondriacal, expressed less hostility toward physicians, and had less positive attitudes toward the medical care system. The differences between shoppers and non-shoppers were generally similar for both high and low socioeconomic status groups. In addition, 52% of the families studied had been forced to change doctors because of circumstances beyond their control, i.e., the patient moved or the doctor moved, retired, or died.
AB - A 10% household sample of high- and low-income census tracts was interviewed to assess the extent of doctor shopping. In 632 households studied, 53% of high socioeconomic status and 51% of low socioeconomic status families had shopped for or changed doctors of their own volition. During the previous year, 4% of each socioeconomic group had consulted more than one doctor without referral for the same episode of illness. Shoppers could be distinguished from non-shoppers-shoppers were younger, were better informed about medical specialties, were less self-reliant, more hypochondriacal, expressed less hostility toward physicians, and had less positive attitudes toward the medical care system. The differences between shoppers and non-shoppers were generally similar for both high and low socioeconomic status groups. In addition, 52% of the families studied had been forced to change doctors because of circumstances beyond their control, i.e., the patient moved or the doctor moved, retired, or died.
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U2 - 10.1007/BF01319086
DO - 10.1007/BF01319086
M3 - Article
C2 - 1016345
AN - SCOPUS:0017051842
VL - 2
SP - 85
EP - 91
JO - Journal of Community Health
JF - Journal of Community Health
SN - 0094-5145
IS - 2
ER -