Images of the physician and help-seeking behavior of the elderly: a multivariate assessment.

This research empirically examines the hypothesis that the aged person's attitudes toward doctors have behavioral consequences in terms of whether or not a doctor's help in sought. A multivariate analysis of data collected from 122 older respondents indicates that attitudes related to technical aspects of medicine or physician performance are insignificant in terms of help-seeking, but a perception of physicians as personally interested in the welfare of patients is a significant predictor of both the inclination and actual behavior of seeking medical help. Implications of these data are discussed.