Symptom consultation in lay networks in an elderly population.

Although lay referrals are known to be important as factors affecting the use of professional services, less is known about how individuals use lay consultation in evaluating symptoms. The amount and type of advice given by persons in the social network is especially important with respect to self care of symptoms that never reach the attention of professional caregivers. This article provides information on how often and from whom elderly citizens seek and receive consultation, such as family and friends, when they experience common symptoms. Findings suggest that female relatives are important sources of advice but that neither gender nor living arrangements are closely related to the tendency to seek lay advice for common symptoms. Subjects who consulted lay advisers about arthritic symptoms also were more likely to seek professional consultation.