Health care expectations among urban women.

Although patient participation in the health care system is increasing, assumptions are often made about patients' ideas and expectations, because these have not been systematically studied as of yet.This paper presents a summary of the results of a questionnaire answered anonymously by 265 low-income patients who received primary and gynecological care from a single specialty group in Chicago's inner city.According to the respondents (mainly young black women) one-to-one patient-physician relationships are preferred; the respondents are interested in preventive medicine; they hold traditional views about marriage and abortion; they are interested in having smaller families; and they want outside jobs and participation in their health care decisions.