Kim, Joo-Hyun, Kyung-Hee Joo, Hye-In Oh, & Chan-Hum Yoon (2019, November). [Ageism and types of subjective perception of elderly persons on the experience with healthcare professionals and services: Using the Q-methodology]. Korean Sociology, 53(4), 1-44. [in Korean] (doi: 10.21562/kjs.2019.11.53.4.1) (Link: http://www.dbpia.co.kr/journal/articleDetail?nodeId=NODE09311816&language=ko_KR#none)
English Abstract: This study aims to explore the attitude and perception of the elderly revealed in the experience with healthcare services and healthcare professionals they meet to address health and medical problems among their everyday life issues. In this paper, Q-methodology was applied on a P-sample of 49 elderly persons by using 38 Q-statements. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the relationship with medical professionals formed differently and the perception of the discrimination and the attitudes toward the medical service experience vary according to the situation and characteristics of each elderly. The data were analyzed with PQMethod and the following 5 types were derived from the analysis: healthcare consumers who consider communication important (Type 1), malcontent healthcare adaptors (Type 2), minimum burden bearer of healthcare cost (Type 3), self-reliant healthcare seekers (Type 4), and skeptics of healthcare who have experience in discrimination (Type 5). Based on the analysis results, the various types of the elderlies’ perception toward healthcare professionals whom they meet to address their health problems are found to be differentiated on the manner of communication with healthcare professionals, the level of trust in healthcare professionals, types of coping mechanism with one’s own illness, and the level of the perception of ageism. Different types of the subjectivity toward healthcare professionals showed differences in communication and interaction with healthcare professionals and in ‘self-ageism‘ as well as the perception of discrimination which the elderly experience during the reception of healthcare services.
Chanhum Yoon <chanhum-yoon@uiowa.edu> is in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa (USA).
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