Using Health Services Flashcards
What factors influence our recognition of symptoms
Hypochondriasis and Neuroticism, attentional differences, situational factors, stress levels
Hypochondriasis and prevalence in general population
Mental disorder involving preoccupation with/anxiety over illness or disease. 1-5% of general population
Neuroticism
Personality trait characterized by negative emotions/anxiety
Attentional differenences and symptom recognition
Higher internal focus = higher likelihood of recognizing symptoms. Higher external focus = lower likelihood
Factors that increase external focus
Career engagement, lively social life, having a family
Situational factors and recognizing symptoms
More likely to recognize symptoms in low-arousal situations becuase one is not “caught up in the moment”
Salience of medical content/engagement
Increases one’s likelihood of recognizing symptoms - e.g. “Medical Student’s Disease”
Stress and recognizing symptoms
Cyclic. More stress = more likely to recognize symptoms, which will likely cause more stress
What 3 factors influence one’s interpretation of symptoms?
Prior experience, expectations, and seriousness of symtoms
*Common Sense Model of Illness
Illness representations occupy one’s mind based on their experiences, socialization, and media. Representations may be accurate or inaccurate and even contradictory
Common modesl of illness
Acute, chronic, cyclic
*Lay Referral Network
Social network of individuals we seek guidance from after noticing symptoms. Often includes significant others, parents, friends, etc
Age of most health service usage
Children and elderly
Why does use of health services drop off in adolescense and young adulthood?
High engagement with life activities (school, work, family), most robust in immunity in these stages of life, often no full-time caregiver to persuade one to use healthcare
Which gender is more likely to use health services? Why (4 reasons)?
Women - increased use is due to: pregnancy and childbirth, higher sensitivity to bodily disruptions, men are more “macho,” women require more specialized visits
Link between SES and Use of Health Services
Low SES = less likely to use health services due to lack of access and high cost
Per capita spending on health services in the US compared to other countries
WAY higher in the US compared to any other country. US: $11.9k; Switzerland (second highest): $7.1k
Life expectancy in the US compared to other OECD countries
79 years; US is 26th out of 35 of the OECD countries (bad!!)
OECD = Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
Cultural Factors (5) and Use of Health Services
- Culture of honor ideology (neg impact)
- Strict gender roles (neg impact)
- Language barriers (neg impact)
- Relgious practices (varies, so pos OR neg impact)
- Trust in healthcare professionals (varies, so pos OR neg impact)
Trust in physicians and hospitals - differences between white and black people
Physicians: white - 80% trust, black - 43% trust
Hospitals: white = 74% trust, black - 61% trust
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
70-year study on black population in Tuskegee, AL concerning untreated syphilis. Involved deception of subjects and witholding treatment for no legitimate justification
Social factors and use of health services (list 5)
Socialization, perceptions of threat, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, peer support
Rate of seeking physicians’ services when the issues are primarily psychological. What two disorders are the main culprits?
Up to 2 in 3. Main culprits: anxiety and depression
List three reasons for seeking out health services for non-physical reasons
Prospect of rest or time off. Possible care and attention from others. Shleter (in the event of homelessness or domestic violence).
