Associations Between Family Members' Perceptions of the Health Care System and the Health of Youths with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

This study examined family members' satisfaction with the healthcare system and the association between satisfaction and healthoutcomes in youths with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(IDDM). Subjects were 96 adolescents with IDDM and their parents.Satisfaction with the health care system was measured for physicians'personal qualities, physicians' professional competence, andthe cost and convenience of medical care. Health outcome measuresincluded the adolescents' adherence to treatment, metaboliccontrol (HbA_1c), and the number of diabetes-related hospitalizationsduring the previous year. Family members generally had favorableattitudes toward physicians' personal qualities and professionalcompetence, and neutral attitudes regarding the cost and convenienceof medical care Adolescents' adherence to treatment was positivelyassociated with fathers' perceptions of physicians' professionalcompetence, and marginally (p < .05) related to mothers'perceptions of physicians' professional competence and youths'perceptions of physicians' personal qualities. Youths' perceptionsof physicians' professional competence correlated negativelywith the number of hsopitalizations during the past year, and,unexpectedly, correlated positively with metabolic control.Interpretations of these findings and suggestions for futureresearch and presented.