HEALTH SERVICES UTILIZATION

64

Preventive Care

Prevention of health problems and promotion of optimal physical and emotional functioning are important outcomes of patients' interactions with the health care system. A greater proportion of women's visits to physicians were for preventive services compared to those of men in 1996 (24.6 percent versus 19.7 percent), though the proportion of services devoted to preventive care increased for both sexes since 1987.

Of the more than 458,000 visits to physicians or hospital outpatient departments made by women aged 15 years and older on average in 1997-98, approximately 94,000 visits, or nearly 21 percent, were made for preventive care or other non-illness reasons. A greater proportion of visits by women under age 45 were for the purpose of obtaining preventive care than for women aged 45 and older. Visits by older women were more likely to be dedicated to care of a chronic condition than were visits by younger women. Use of preventive services did not differ between Black and White women.

In 1987, the percent of ambulatory visits that were for preventive services was 20.0% for females and 13.7% for males. In 1996, the percent of ambulatory visits for preventative services rose to 24.6% for women and 19.7% for men.
The percent of ambulatory care visits for preventive care or other non-illness related reasons was 31.3% for women from 15-44 years old, 13.8% for women 45-64 years of age and 9.7% for women 65+ years old.

 

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