Following the drill: the search for a dentist.
The authors identify strategically useful distinctions between the activities of potential patients in search of specialized vs. routine dental services. Survey findings question the advisability of assuming (1) that what occurs in the search process for routine dental care will automatically be mirrored in the process for more specialized services and (2) that potential patients use the same specific sources of information--both between (e.g., physicians vs. dentists) and within (e.g., specialized dental care vs. routine dental care) existing health care typologies.
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
W H
WH
Motes
B A
BA
Huhmann
C J
CJ
Hill
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013039:Specialties, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States