THE UNDERUSE OF WOMENS HEALTH-CARE SERVICES IN HUNGARY - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

In order to collect baseline data for a 2-year Women's Health Program in Hungary, a survey was conducted of 369 women residing in one commun ity setting. The purpose of this descriptive exploratory study was to gather preliminary data that would help identify perceptions of inhibi tors to utilization of women's health services. An additional purpose was to identify perceived health needs in the study setting and-to mak e recommendations for changes in the existing services. The survey res ults indicated that women were satisfied overall with their health car e. Equivocal responses suggested, however, that patient-provider inter actions and lack of understanding regarding preventive health care may contribute to the underuse of services. The authors suggest that publ ic feedback that includes women's opinions and perceived needs is esse ntial in health program planning and evaluation. In order to accomplis h this, standardized Hungary-specific research instruments must be dev eloped.