Question

From a political-economy perspective, identify 5 distinct potential determinants of access to/use of health services. Briefly explain how/why each of these factors is likely to drive healthcare use. Then, determine how each of these factors would be classified under Andersen’s behavioral model of health service utilization.

Answer 1

utilization of health-care services reflects a need for care, but that is not the case, for several reasons. Many factors affect health-care utilization independently of need and are reflected in differences, some of which are remediable, among population groups. Some of these factors are related to biologic or environmental differences among groups, such as disproportionate residence in polluted environments, access to healthful food and adequate housing, and education associated with effective use of health care. Others are related to differences in access, such as health insurance coverage or income needed to obtain services, ease of obtaining services, and discriminatory practices of providers.

Some of the determinants of services utilization : *Race and Ethnicity. : Racial and ethnic disparities produce disadvantages that racism leads to higher rates of chronic and disabling illness,and infectious diseases due to unavailability of education and low socio economic status and living in poor health condition amd having unhealthy diet. Due to this they use more health services. * Insurance and ability to pay for services. Those cont able to pay for health services utilize less services. *Gender. : Women overall have higher health care utilization than men . *Income and poverty. *Geography. *Persons with high risk factors.

The Andersen healthcare utilization model is a conceptual model aimed at demonstrating the factors that lead to the use of health services. According to the model, usage of health services (including inpatient care, physician visits, dental care etc.) is determined by three dynamics: predisposing factors, enabling factors, and need. Predisposing factors can be characteristics such as race, age, and health beliefs. For instance, an individual who believes health services are an effective treatment for an ailment is more likely to seek care. Examples of enabling factors could be family support, access to health insurance, one's community etc. Need represents both perceived and actual need for health care services.