Determinants of Physician Utilization: A Causal Analysis.

The relative importance of the determinants of physician utilization was examined using data obtained from a community health survey of 2,168 households in five New York and Pennsylvania counties. Eighteen variables, including individual and organizational attributes, were selected to determine the causal ordering of these variables in predicting use of physicians' services. It was found that the need for care, average cost per visit, health insurance coverage, and age have strong direct effects on physician utilization. The other variables had either an indirect or a negligible influence. The path analysis employed in this study reveals the great potential contribution of sociological methods in health services research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]