Health Care Professionals Opinions regarding New Messages regarding Health Care Refusals

This paper presents the results of a survey conducted of health care professions (n=165) attending the 2006 Annual American Public Health Association Meeting. Participants completed one of two surveys testing messages in support of and opposing refusals of care. The survey was designed to: (1) learn the opinions of health professionals and health care providers about the patients access to health care; (2) assess what messages resonate with health care providers regarding patient care, and (3) identify message directions for communicating with and on behalf of providers. Pre and post assessment of support/opposition to refusals of care surrounded the rating of the level to which the participant agreed with a series of statements. Particpants were also asked about basic demographics, they opinions about the state of health care, and their level of support for legal abortion. An overwhelming majority of respondents were pro-choice but a sufficient number of legal abortion opponents completed surveys to allow for analysis and comparison. Overall the messages that tested best tended to focus on the importance of medicine or science over religion and putting patients first. Messages that tested weakest tended to include language about institutions, the medical system, religious freedom, or doctor mandates. Recommendations for how to talk about health care refusals so as to generate the maximum opposition to these practices are presented as are directions for moving forward efforts to combat refusals to care.