Encuestas de morbilidad y atencion medica como metodo de analisis de situacion de salud / Surveys of morbidity and medical care as a method of analyzing health status

ABSTRACT

The paper reports the results of studies done by the authors in 1977 and 1983 on morbidity and health care in the city of Santiago, obtained in health surveys of the population done on random samples of families. This technique yielded, the total acute and chronic morbidity perceived by the population, the distribution of the medical care received, the type and cost of the care received, and its quality as evaluated by the recipients. Also discussed are the limitations of the procedure owing to its methodological complexity and its dependence on the veracity of the respondents. The results also depend on the frequency of the surveys and on the time elapsed before the events reported in interviews took place