Date of Award
12-1993
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
An overwhelming number of reports in the literature identify common problems within our health care system and the unique problems faced by rural areas regarding health care delivery. A paucity of research exists that addresses problems of rural health care as perceived by consumers and health care providers.
In this study, the perceived health care needs, wants, and demands of consumers and providers in a single region of a Midwestern state were sampled to clarify the priorities of these groups. Orem's self-care deficit theory of nursing (S.C.D.N.T.) was used as the theoretical framework for this study. A selected group of health care providers, that is, all physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and hospital/nursing home administrators plus a subgroup of consumers, randomly selected according to county size, in the 15 county region were invited to participate in this study, yielding a total sample size of 346.
After approval by University of North Dakota Institutional Review Board, data for this study were collected via a mailed questionnaire. Three instruments, developed by the researcher, were used in this study, one for each group of people surveyed. For example, all three groups, consumers, primary care providers, and hospital/long term care administrators received four identical questions. The questions pertained to the perceived most important health care problems in the region and their rank among other regional concerns. Consumers, providers, and administrators were asked their perspectives of satisfaction, utilization, and access of health care in the region. Demographic questions were unique to each group being surveyed. Data were analyzed to determine descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, means, ranges, percentages, and standard deviations. MANOVA, ANOVA, and Chi square procedures were used to assess relationships and group differences as appropriate for the given level of measurement.
These analyses determined that differences between group means (consumer versus providers) were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Consumers ranked cost, shortages, and access as their highest priorities while providers ranked shortages, insurance, and access in descending priority. There was substantial agreement between consumers and providers in the priority ranking: economy, health care, education, unemployment, taxes, transportation, and low income housing were ranked in decreasing order of importance by both groups. Consumers expressed more confidence in their own knowledge of regional health care concerns than physicians did of their knowledge. When patients were ranked by their primary care providers, 48% reported their patients as poorly informed
Recommended Citation
Wiersma, Mary D., "Health care perspectives of consumers and providers in Northwest Minnesota" (1993). Theses and Dissertations. 7450.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/7450