Warin M, Baum F, Kalucy E, Murray C, Veale B
Department of Anthropology, University of Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Soc Sci Med. 2000 Jun;50(12):1863-75. doi: 10.1016/s0277-9536(99)00423-2.
This paper focuses on the importance of time and space in an Australian medical setting. It draws on research findings from a one year project that aimed to explore community perspectives of, and experiences of medical services in three South Australian women's and community health centres. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were used in order to address these objectives. A significant finding was the way in which participants described the organisation and experience of time and space in these centres and how this impacted on their health and well being and that of the community. In analysing these spatio-temporal dimensions and the underlying philosophical structures of women's and community health centres, this paper argues that experiences associated with space and time have a positive effect on health status by: diminishing barriers to health services, improving quality of care, increasing community participation, providing safe places for social interaction and strengthening people's sense of belonging or attachment to a particular community and place. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that the spatio-temporal dimensions of health care provision have empowering and positive impacts on a community's health, a significant finding that has implications for the maintenance and future funding of this style of health service.
本文聚焦于澳大利亚医疗环境中时间和空间的重要性。它借鉴了一个为期一年的项目的研究结果，该项目旨在探索南澳大利亚州三个妇女与社区健康中心的社区对医疗服务的看法及体验。为实现这些目标，采用了定性和定量的数据收集与分析方法。一个重要发现是参与者描述这些中心时间和空间的组织与体验的方式，以及这如何影响他们自身及社区的健康和福祉。在分析这些时空维度以及妇女与社区健康中心潜在的哲学结构时，本文认为与空间和时间相关的体验通过以下方式对健康状况产生积极影响：减少获得医疗服务的障碍、提高护理质量、增加社区参与度、提供社交互动的安全场所，以及增强人们对特定社区和地点的归属感或依恋感。基于这些发现，作者得出结论，医疗服务提供的时空维度对社区健康具有赋权和积极影响，这一重要发现对这种医疗服务模式的维持和未来资金投入具有启示意义。
