abstract: 'This article describes the use of action research as an information base

  for policy formulation by a collaborative partnership in Spokane,

  Washington. Health and social service providers recognized access to

  care by uninsured persons as a major community issue. Little was known

  from the consumers perspective about factors limiting access. No

  benchmarks existed against which to measure progress. Investigators

  collected mailed surveys from 475 residents of six Spokane neighborhoods

  and 97 persons participated in 12 focus group sessions. Income,

  education, and ethnicity were primary factors affecting perceptions of

  degree to which medical, dental, and mental health needs were being met.

  Many residents were unable to obtain needed health care; low-cost dental

  and mental health services were named as their highest priorities.

  Quality of care, relationships with providers, immediacy of access, and

  cost were important concerns. Major barriers were cost, length of time

  before one could get an appointment, lack of comfort with providers, and

  having to miss work for appointments. Consumer input is critical in

  understanding local issues in health care. Action research that combines

  qualitative and quantitative data enhanced practice/policy decisions

  through assuring ownership of the research and immediate use of findings

  by involved agencies.'
affiliation: 'Higgs, ZR (Corresponding Author), Washington State Univ, Coll Nursing,
  Intercollegiate Ctr Nursing Educ, 2917 W Fort George Wright Dr, Spokane, WA 99224
  USA.

  Washington State Univ, Coll Nursing, Intercollegiate Ctr Nursing Educ, Spokane,
  WA 99224 USA.'
author: Higgs, ZR and Bayne, T and Murphy, D
author-email: higgsz@wsu.edu
author_list:
- family: Higgs
  given: ZR
- family: Bayne
  given: T
- family: Murphy
  given: D
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1446.2001.00003.x
eissn: 1525-1446
files: []
issn: 0737-1209
journal: PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING
keywords: 'health care access; consumer perspectives; health services

  accessibility; consumer attitudes'
language: English
month: JAN-FEB
number: '1'
number-of-cited-references: '27'
pages: 3-12
papis_id: dc88d1493a3d372bcc4407153af2ea72
ref: Higgs2001healthcare
times-cited: '20'
title: 'Health care access: A consumer perspective'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000166526600002
usage-count-last-180-days: '1'
usage-count-since-2013: '6'
volume: '18'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health; Nursing
year: '2001'