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BMC Health Services Research
Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2009

Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research article

Measuring factors that influence the utilisation of preventive care services provided by general practitioners in Australia

Authors: Jianzhen Zhang, Brian Oldenburg, Gavin Turrell

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2009

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Abstract

Background

Relatively little research attention has been given to the development of standardised and psychometrically sound scales for measuring influences relevant to the utilisation of health services. This study aims to describe the development, validation and internal reliability of some existing and new scales to measure factors that are likely to influence utilisation of preventive care services provided by general practitioners in Australia.

Methods

Relevant domains of influence were first identified from a literature review and formative research. Items were then generated by using and adapting previously developed scales and published findings from these. The new items and scales were pre-tested and qualitative feedback was obtained from a convenience sample of citizens from the community and a panel of experts. Principal Components Analyses (PCA) and internal reliability testing (Cronbach's alpha) were then conducted for all of the newly adapted or developed scales utilising data collected from a self-administered mailed survey sent to a randomly selected population-based sample of 381 individuals (response rate 65.6 per cent).

Results

The PCA identified five scales with acceptable levels of internal consistency were: (1) social support (ten items), alpha 0.86; (2) perceived interpersonal care (five items), alpha 0.87, (3) concerns about availability of health care and accessibility to health care (eight items), alpha 0.80, (4) value of good health (five items), alpha 0.79, and (5) attitudes towards health care (three items), alpha 0.75.

Conclusion

The five scales are suitable for further development and more widespread use in research aimed at understanding the determinants of preventive health services utilisation among adults in the general population.
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Metadata
Title
Measuring factors that influence the utilisation of preventive care services provided by general practitioners in Australia
Authors
Jianzhen Zhang
Brian Oldenburg
Gavin Turrell
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-9-218

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