[Subsidised Regimen users' perceptions concerning their right to health and access to health services in a Colombian town, 2005].
OBJECTIVE
Determining Subsidised Regimen (EPS-RS) clients' perceptions regarding their right to health and access to health services.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of 600 Subsidised Regime clients from the municipality of Arjona, Bolivar department, was carried out. A previously validated questionnaire was given to the randomly selected study population, weighting EPS-RS affiliated clients' participation. The data was processing using the SPSS 10.0 statistical package.


RESULTS
Ignorance of and lack of information regarding management processes were evident amongst EPS-RS clients. Furthermore, their perception about the quality of EPS-RS attention was positively correlated with affiliated clients' level of participation in these companies' activities.


CONCLUSIONS
No indicators measuring the right to health are currently available. Figures related to the resources destined for health and managing it are thus used. Achievements in ensuring health insurance coverage should not just therefore refer to the non-assured population but to effective access to health services which are sufficient and of good quality. Community' opinion might thus become an indicator regarding how people's right to health is being complied with.
Alvis-Guzmán
Nelson
N
Departamento de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales, Universidad de Cartagena, Colombia. nalvis@yahoo.com
Alvis-Estrada
Luís
L
Orozco-Africano
Julio
J
D003105:Colombia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires