Indicators for planning of health services: assessing impacts of social and health care factors on population health.
Community health planning requires identification of the level of access to care and factors which affect the differentials in use of health services. In formulating strategies or alternatives for planning, some assessment of the current level or patterns of health services must be made. It is this element of the planning process that is addressed in this paper. In this study sixty-five specifically designated areas (medical market areas) in the Province of Quebec, Canada were selected. The analysis was performed using data obtained from a large scale study of physicians' responses to the introduction of universal medical care insurance in Quebec. Our analysis offered an opportunity to observe the impact of Medicare on access to care for those thought to be underserved.
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011792:Quebec; D012044:Regression Analysis