Consumer impact of a Cold Self-Care Center in a prepaid ambulatory care setting.

A Cold Self-Care Center was developed to be an alternative to professional care and to encourage more active involvement of consumers in their own care. A sample of the self-selected user population (n = 74) was studied by comparison with a random sample of plan members (n = 104), and the program was evaluated for cost, consumer satisfaction, and impact on behavior, knowledge and attitudes. Users demonstrated higher levels of knowledge about cold care than non-users, indicated more dependency on professional resources, and differed in health-related attitudes and cold-care behavior. The Cold Self-Care Center appears to have had little impact on self-medication behavior. However, it did affect care-seeking behavior. Knowledge of criteria for seeking professional care was greater than in non-users; 20 per cent sought professional care, and 6 per cent anticipated seeking professional care for future colds. General satisfaction with the program was quite high. Speed and ease of use were cited most often as reasons for satisfaction. The Center also was demonstrated to have a favorable impact on clinic costs. A flexible system which is convenient to use and which retains access to professional care when appropriate both can relieve clinic overload and meet the needs of a large percentage of cold patients.