Universal health care and reform of the health care system: views of medical students in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
Nearly 46 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2004. Recent studies have documented physicians' support for various remedies, including universal health care. The authors undertook this study to assess medical students' views on these topics.


METHODS
In 2002, the authors surveyed a national random sample of first-year and fourth-year medical students (from the American Medical Association Masterfile) to determine their views about health care reform options, including universal health care. Response data were weighted and compared using chi-squared tests; statistical significance was set at p < or = .05.


RESULTS
Of 1,363 medical students, 770 completed the questionnaire (response rate = 56.5%). In rating the importance of several health care issues, more than 80% of both first-year and fourth-year students rated the expansion of health care coverage as important. Nearly all first-year (90%) and fourth-year (88%) students agreed with the statement, "Everyone is entitled to adequate medical care regardless of ability to pay." Most students favored health care reform that would achieve universal health care, with first-year students (70%) somewhat more likely than fourth-year students (61%) to support universal health care (p = .012). Students were less likely to believe that physicians support universal health care, and more likely to believe that the public does.


CONCLUSIONS
Both groups of students generally support the expansion of health coverage to the uninsured and some form of universal health care. This may be relevant both to policymakers in their considerations of health care reform and to medical educators concerned with teaching students about health policy issues.
Huebner
Jeffrey
J
Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98103, USA. eino@u.washington.edu
Agrawal
Jaya R
JR
Sehgal
Ashwini R
AR
Jung
Paul
P
Hedgecock
Joan
J
Simon
Steven R
SR
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D019472:Universal Health Insurance