A sociomedical survey of doctor/patient contacts: Spot testing of the adult population of Roskilde, Denmark

Abstract

An attempt was made to correlate the seeking of medical advice with demographic and social variables by means of a postal questionnaire sent in November, 1969, to 1 per cent of the adult population of Roskilde selected according to date of birth. The doctor/patient contact rate was found to be higher among women than among men and was highest among unskilled women and women with brief school educations. No definite differences in the number of contacts could be found to be related to the conditions of health insurance, but a tendency to seek medical advice less frequently was observed among those replying with incomes of over 50,000 Danish kroner (approximately £2750). In an attempt to identify particular conditions which could influence the rate of seeking medical advice, information was sought as to whether practical or economic circumstances existed which prevented working people from consulting their doctors during daytime consultation hours. 21 per cent of the persons paid by the week stated that they were unable to seek advice during working hours while this was the case with only 4 per cent of individuals paid by the month. The replies revealed, further, that 57 per cent of the persons of both sexes paid by the week forfeited pay by consulting their doctors during working hours while this was the case in only 5 per cent of workers and employees paid by the month. To the question of whether the persons concerned had ever felt the need of consulting their doctors, but had not done so, 27 per cent replied in the affirmative. Their reasons were classified into three categories: (i) patient's attitude; (ii) the social situation of the patient; and (iii) the organization of primary medical services. The tendencies to seek medical advice on account of nine specified symptoms did not reveal any definite variation with the conditions of employment and the duration of the school education.