| Abstract: | Medical services provided to vacationers and employees in Yellowstone National Park were reviewed for the years 1975 through 1977. Both ambulatory and inpatient data were obtained, including diagnoses, place of residence, medications prescribed, and methods of payment. The types of problems and modes of treatment did not differ from typical primary care practices. Health maintenance was the most common reason for outpatient visits. The distribution of diagnoses among park visitors and employees was the same within age categories, although the employees' rate of utilization was nearly twice that of the visitors. Distance from home was directly related to the frequency with which visitors used clinic services.Drs. Woolley, Wright, and Patrick and Mrs. Ford are with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Dr. Kronhaus is with Health Systems Research Institute, 715 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Work for this study was supported by Department of Health, Education and Welfare Contract No. 298-76-R-0006,  Evaluation of the Utilization Effectiveness of Rural Health Programs. Reprints may be obtained from Dr. Ross Woolley, Department of Family and Community Medicine, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132. |
