Safer Flashcards
(23 cards)
What was the aim of Safer et al.’s study?
Investigate factors that influence delays in seeking medical treatment
The study focused on understanding why patients delay seeking medical care.
What was the average age of participants in the study?
44 years old
The study used an opportunity sample of 93 participants.
How long was the structured interview conducted with participants?
45 minutes
Participants with serious illnesses were excluded from the study.
Where were the participants approached for the study?
In the waiting room of 4 clinics in an inner city hospital
This setting was chosen to gather responses from patients waiting for medical attention.
What were participants asked about during the interview?
Their symptoms and reactions to their symptoms
An example question was whether they expected the treatment to be uncomfortable.
Define total delay in the context of the study.
The time from noting symptoms up until they were interviewed at the appointment
This encompasses the entire duration from symptom recognition to the interview.
What does appraisal/delay refer to?
The number of days from first noticing a symptom to concluding that they are ill
This includes awareness and evaluation of symptoms.
What is illness delay?
The number of days from concluding that they were ill until the time they decided to seek professional help
This reflects the time taken to act on the realization of being ill.
Define the term ‘utilization delay.’
The number of days from deciding to seek help to being interviewed
This period includes the action taken after the decision to seek medical assistance.
What scale was used to measure emotional reactions to symptoms?
A 7-point scale
This scale helped assess the intensity of emotional responses to symptoms.
What was used to measure the extent of imagined negative consequences?
A 7-point scale
This scale evaluated how much participants thought about negative outcomes related to their symptoms.
What scale was used to assess the level of pain experienced?
A 10-point scale
This scale measured the severity of pain reported by participants.
What factor had the highest correlation with total delay in seeking treatment?
Competing problems or issues in their life
Issues like marriage or divorce correlated with longer delays.
How does higher pain severity impact total delay?
Leads to shorter total delays
More severe pain symptoms were associated with quicker decisions to seek treatment.
What effect does reading about symptoms have on delay?
Leads to shorter delays
Not reading about symptoms resulted in longer delays in seeking help.
What correlation was found between pain and appraisal delay?
Highest correlation with appraisal delay
Little or no pain was associated with a delay of about 7.5 days, while some pain correlated with 25 days.
What additional factor correlated with appraisal delay?
Presence of bleeding
Patients experiencing bleeding had different delays compared to those who did not.
How many days were patients with new symptoms delayed by?
25 days
Patients reporting new symptoms experienced significant delays.
What was the impact of imagining negative consequences of illness on delay?
Led to longer delays
Those who imagined negative outcomes waited longer than those who did not.
What was the correlation between worry over cost and delay?
High correlation with delay
Patients very concerned about costs tended to delay seeking treatment.
How did experiencing pain affect delay in seeking treatment?
Patients who experienced pain delayed less
Experiencing pain motivated quicker action in seeking help.
What belief caused longer delays in treatment seeking?
Belief that symptoms can’t be cured
Patients who felt their symptoms were incurable waited longer to seek treatment.
What type of sensory signals led to shorter delays?
Strong sensory signals
More intense sensory experiences prompted quicker treatment-seeking behavior.
