TRAVELING FOR CARE - FACTORS INFLUENCING HEALTH-CARE ACCESS FOR RURALDWELLERS

This study explored 19 rural dwellers' perceptions of health care issu es through semi-structured interviews. Sample selection, data collecti on, and analysis adhered to the grounded theory method in that an inte ractive design was maintained. The strategy of traveling for care desc ribes how rural dwellers deal with the problem of varying access to he alth care. This study uncovers the influencing factors that impact on rural dwellers' decisions when traveling for care. Most rural dwellers choose to wait before seeking health care; those factors that contrib uted to the decision to wait includes limited financial resources to p ay for health care, prior experiences within the system, and the preva lent belief that they can provide self-care effectively. When self-car e was not successful they evaluated their resources to assist in their decision making. The last phase of this strategy was choosing the dis tance they would go to receive health care. Choosing the distance vari ed greatly among the participants. A few choose to go without health c are whereas others would go to any lengths to resolve their health pro blem.